LOCATION HAUNCHEE           NV

Established Series
Rev. RAF-RLB-JBF
12/2008

HAUNCHEE SERIES

The Haunchee series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium from limestone, calcite, calcareous shale and dolomite. The Haunchee soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 400 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic Lithic Cryrendolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Haunchee very gravelly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 10 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many medium, fine, and very fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

A2--10 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 45 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (15 to 33 cm thick)

R--30 cm; fractured limestone.

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; approximately 5 miles south of Eureka; 200 feet east and 1,500 feet south of the northwest corner of section 14 T. 18 N., R. 53 E; latitude 39 degrees 26 minutes 6.7 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 58 minutes 51.2 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist, moist mid fall through early summer, dry mid summer through early fall. Xeric moisture regime.

Soil temperature - 6 to 7 degrees C.

Average summer soil temperature - 12 to 15 degrees C.

Mollic epipedon thickness; 25 to 50 cm.

Depth to bedrock - 25 to 50 cm.

Reaction - Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline in the surface layer and moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline below.

Effervescence- Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent throughout.

Calcium carbonate equivalent - 40 to 70 percent, in the less than 20 mm fraction.

Particle -size control section - Clay content: 10 to 20 percent.
Texture: Very gravelly very fine sandy loam, and very gravelly loam. In some pedons, very cobbly loam or very stony loam is common in the surface layer.
Rock fragments - 35 to 60 percent mainly pebbles with up to 20 percent stones and cobbles in some pedons.

Oi- (When present) slightly decomposed curleaf mountainmahogany leaves, twigs and grass residue.

A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Other features - Some pedons have a thin C horizon above the bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Halacan (NV) and Sheege (ID) series. Halacan and Sheege soils have a horizon with secondary calcium arbonate pendants and concretions on the lower half of rock fragments. Halacan soils have a Bk horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Haunchee soils are on mountains dominantly summits and side slopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from dolomite, calcite, calcareous shale and limestone. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,920 to 3,180 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 500 mm; mean annual temperature is 2 to 7 degrees C., and the frost- free season is 30 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Foxmount and Hatur soils. These soils have bedrock within a depth of 50 to 100 cm. Also, Foxmount soils lack lime throughout the profile.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very high runoff; moderate permeability (high and moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity).

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly curleaf mountainmahogany, black sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, Utah juniper, singleleaf pinyon, antelope bitterbrush, mountain brome, and bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 28B, and 28A.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).

Lithic contact - The boundary at 30 cm. (R layer)

Particle-size control section - The zone from 0 to 30 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.