LOCATION HOTSPRINGS NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Xeric Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Hotsprings gravelly loamy coarse sand-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
All--0 to l inch; pale brown (l0YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (l0YR 5/3) moist; single grained; loose, many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent fine pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to l0 inches thick)
Al2--l to 4 inches; brown (l0YR 5/3) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark brown (l0YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine and many very fine tubular pores; 25 percent fine pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to l0 inches thick)
Al3--4 to 9 inches; brown (l0YR 5/3) gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (l0YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; few fine, common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent fine pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to l0 inches thick)
Cl--9 to l5 inches; yellowish brown (l0YR 5/4) gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (l0YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few fine, many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 20 percent fine pebbles; few patchy clay films; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to l2 inches thick)
C2--l5 to 29 inches; yellowish brown (l0YR 5/4) gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (l0YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few fine and many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent fine pebbles; patchy clay bridges; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (l0 to 20 inches thick)
C3--29 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (l0YR 5/4) gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (l0YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular, and many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent fine pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Lyon County, Nevada, in Smith Valley, about 500 feet north and l,000 feet east of the southwest corner of section 3, T. ll N., R. 23 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is about 5l degrees F. The soil is usually dry, but is moist in the winter and spring. The particle-size control section is gravelly loamy coarse sand or gravelly loamy sand with 20 to 35 percent fine pebbles.
The Al horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. The average organic carbon content is less than 0.5 percent in the surface l0 inches.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is gravelly loamy coarse sand or gravelly loamy sand and has up to 20 percent cobbles and 60 percent pebbles in subhorizons below 40 inches in some pedons. Unconformable lacustrine sediments are below a depth of 40 inches in some pedons in the lower physicographic positions. They are sandy loam to sandy clay loam and are usually calcareous.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Berent, Deskamp, Goldrun, Incy, Quincy, Quinton, Toll, Winchester and Zorravista series. Berent soils have slightly or moderately alkaline loamy fine sand particle-size control sections with less than l5 percent pebbles and are calcareous in the lower part of the control section. Descamp and Quinton soils have bedrock within 40 inches. Goldrun soils have fine sand nongravelly particle- size control sections, and are calcareous from a depth of l7 to 35 inches. Incy soils lack pebbles and have fine sand particle-size control sections. Quincy soils have a nongravelly sand to loamy fine sand particle-size control section. Toll soils have loamy sand nongravelly particle-size control sections. Winchester soils have nongravelly coarse sand control section and and have mineral grains of dominantly dark basaltic particles. Zorravista soils have a calcareous, moderately alklaine control sections with appreciable amounts of pyroclastic material.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hotsprings soils are on alluvial fans at elevations of 4,400 to 5,200 feet. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. These soils formed in alluvium mainly from granitic rocks. The climate is cool, semiarid with moist winters and dry summers. The average annual air temperature is 50 degrees to 52 degrees F.; average annual precipitation is 7 to l0 inches; and the frost-free season is ll0 to l20 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATION SOILS: These are the Holbrook, Saralegui, and Obanion soils. Holbrook soils have coarse-loamy particle-size control section. Obanion soils are poorly drained. Saralegui soils have argillic horizon.
DrainageandPermeability: Well drained; slow runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland, urbanland, and cropland. The present vegetation is primarily big sagebrush, Nevada ephedra, and horsebrush with scattered pinyon pine and Utah juniper invasion.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Valleys in western Nevada. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lyon County Area, Nevada, l98l.