LOCATION FERNPOINT NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fernpoint very gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate very thin and thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular and interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary. (1 or 2 inches thick).
A2--2 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick).
Bt1--7 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick).
Bt2--13 to 17 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick).
BC--17 to 23 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 25 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick).
2C1--23 to 32 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick).
2C2--32 to 48 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick).
2Ck--48 to 60 inches; variegated colored stratified extremely gravelly sand and extremely cobbly sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; about 10 percent of the rock fragments have 10 percent less than 0.5 millimeter thick carbonate coats on bottoms of gravel; noneffervescent matrix; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; about 7.5 miles northeast of Vya and 1 mile east of Nevada State Route 34; in nonsectionized township T. 43 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Alkali Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 40 minutes 55 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 46 minutes 09 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Moist in winter and spring; dry from July through October; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 51 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 16 inches; includes part or all of the argillic horizon.
Depth to sandy-skeletal material - 20 to 30 inches.
Depth to accumulation of identifiable secondary carbonates - 40 to 50 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 25 percent;
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt, andesite, and tuff.
A horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist. Value of 6 only in upper 2 inches
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Bt horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly sandy clay loam or gravelly sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent gravel.
Consistence: Slightly hard, hard dry, friable or very friable moist, slightly sticky and slightly plastic.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
BC horizon
Texture: Gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 20 to 50 percent gravel.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Consistence: Hard or slightly hard dry, friable or very friable moist, slightly sticky and slightly plastic.
2C and 2Ck horizons
Texture: Stratified extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly sand, coarse sand with strata of loamy sand, loamy coarse sand. Some pedons have strata of extremely stony sand.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Consistence: Soft, friable or very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent matrix.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Few or common less than 0.5 millimeter thick carbonate coats on bottoms of rock fragments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bissell, Bjork, Cowiche, Dodes, Hullsgulch, Indiano, Jerusalem, Madras, Margerum, Noslo, Orr, Pahrange, Quailridge (T), Quiero, Ralls, Shoebend, Simcoe, Springmeyer, Truax, Uhaldi, and Wenatchee series.
Bissell, Cowiche, Quiero, Springmeyer, and Wenatchee soils have 25 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Bjork, Dodes, Indiano, Madras, Noslo, Pahrange, Simcoe, Shoebend, and Uhaldi soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Hullsgulch and Jerusalem soils have AB horizons. Margerum soils have 20 to 40 percent ash and pumice in the control section and fragments that are dominantly pumice. Orr soils have argillic horizon that are 35 to 45 inches thick and do not have extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly 2C horizons. Quailridge soils lack calcium carbonate accumulations. Ralls soils have C horizons with a fine earth fraction that is silt loam or clay loam. Truax soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to a duripan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fernpoint soils are on lake shore terraces and beach terraces. They formed in alluvium and lacustrine deposits derived from volcanic rocks such as basalt, andesite, and tuff. Slopes are 4 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 5,500 to 6,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches, the mean annual air temperature is 44 to 46 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Davey, Dugway, and Langston soils. Davey soils lack argillic horizons and are sandy. Dugway soils have fine natric horizons. Langston soils lack a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; moderately slow permeability (moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Fernpoint soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is big sagebrush, Thurber's needlegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 6,600 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 23.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County, Nevada (North Part), 1995. This series was first proposed in 1967. The name is from a well known promontory located in northern Washoe County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 13 inches (A1, A2, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 7 to 17 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 48 to 60 inches (2Ck horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 7 to 17 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
The soil was formerly classified as Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Aridic Calcic Argixerolls.