LOCATION MINNEHA NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Aridic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Minneha very gravelly sandy loam--forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 5 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and common fine interstitial pores; 35 percent pebbles and 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)
A2--5 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 50 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)
A3--18 to 36 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 50 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)
C--36 to 46 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive, soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; 50 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)
Cr--46 cm; weathered granodiorite; few very fine roots along fracture planes in the bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada, about 8 miles south and 16 miles east of Gardnerville; 500 feet north and 500 feet west of the southeast corner of section 12, T.11N., R.22E. latitude 38 degrees 49 minutes 35 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 27 minutes 36 seconds W; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist November through June; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 28 to 46 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 33 to 50 cm to a paralithic contact.
Particle-size control section: Clay content: 6 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly fine pebbles.
Reaction: Slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons have thin 0 horizons.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3.
C horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3.
Texture: Very gravelly coarse sandy loam or very gravelly sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly fine pebbles.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Entiat series. Entiat soils have cambic horizons and mollic epipedons less than 28 cm thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Minneha soils are on backslopes of mountains. They formed in residuum derived from granitic rocks. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,830 to 2,286 meters. The climate is cool-semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 360 mm, the mean annual temperature is 8 to 9 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 95 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Roloc, Drit, and Trid soils. Roloc soils are loamy-skeletal, shallow, and have argillic horizons. Drit soils are loamy-skeletal, very deep, and have thick mollic epipedons. Trid soils are loamy-skeletal, moderately deep to weathered igneous bedrock, and have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium or high surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Minneha soils are used for forestland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is a forest canopy of singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper with an understory of mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, currant, and bottlebrush squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are of small extent. MLRAs 26 and 27.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County Area, Nevada, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 36 cm (A1, A2, and A3 horizons)
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 46 cm to underlying soft, weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 46 cm (the lower part of the A3 horizon and the C horizon).