LOCATION GUMBLE NV+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic, shallow Xeric Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Gumble very gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partially covered with 25 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles.
A1--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and common fine interstitial pores; 35 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A2--2 to 4 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 25 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; common distinct pressure cutans on faces of peds; 5 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
Bt2--9 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots of faces of peds; common very fine interstitial pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Btk--13 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent pebbles; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine filaments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Cr--18 to 24 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) soft tuffaceous siltstone, brown (10YR 4/3) moist.
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 5 miles south of Wilson Reservoir; about 2,640 feet north and 530 feet east of the projected southwest corner of section 28, T. 43 N., R. 60 E.; USGS I-L Ranch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 35 minutes 45 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees 22 minutes 30 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 14 to 20 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 14 to 20 inches to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are soft, weathered tuff or tuffaceous siltstone.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 60 percent; Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent, mainly pebbles with up to 10 percent cobbles in some pedons. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt.
A horizons - Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Bt1 and Bt2 horizons - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay, gravelly clay, or clay loam.
Clay fraction: 35 to 60 percent.
Sand fraction: More than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Btk horizon - Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Silty clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Other features: Thin C horizons are in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bedzee, Brisbois, Chalco, Espint, and Xman series.
Bedzee soils have mean annual soil temperature of 54 to 59 degrees F. and are effervescent in the Bt horizon. Brisbois soils have paralithic contacts at depths of 4 to 10 inches from the soil surface, are effervescent throughout, and have less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser sands. Chalco soils have less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser sands. Espint soils have paralithic contacts at depths of 6 to 14 inches from the soil surface, have mean annual soil temperature of 53 to 59 degrees F., and are intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during the summer. Xman soils have mean annual soil temperature of 50 to 54 degrees F. and do not have subhorizons with secondary carbonates.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gumble soils are on rock pediments and hills. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from tuff or tuffaceous siltstone. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 4,500 to 6,600 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches, mean annual temperature is 46 to 48 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hunnton and Wieland soils. Hunnton soils are moderately deep to duripans. Wieland soils are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Gumble soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, basin wildrye, and cheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada and south-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 25, while other acreage occurs in MLRAs 10 and 23 in Oregon.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County (Northwest Area), Nevada, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 4 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 4 to 18 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 13 to 18 inches (Btk horizon).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 18 inches to underlying soft, weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 4 to 18 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons).