LOCATION NOVACAN NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Abruptic Xeric Argidurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Novacan cobbly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 10 percent pebbles and 25 percent cobbles.
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A2--3 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine exped roots and few fine and medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces; 25 percent pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
Bt2--11 to l8 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 10 percent pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
Btk--18 to 24 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; massive; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 30 percent pebbles; common fine lime in seams and as filaments or threads; strongly effervescent; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bqkm--24 to 45 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) continuous strongly cemented duripan, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; very hard, very firm; 15 percent pebbles, 35 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; patchy discontinuous thin laminar cap; common medium silica and lime coats and pendants on undersides of rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 21 inches thick)
Bqk--45 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine pores; 20 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; 50 percent discontinuous strong cementation; lime occurs in common fine concretions and seams; common medium silica and lime coats and pendants on undersides of rock fragments; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; about 18 miles east of Austin in Monitor Valley; approximately 1,550 feet south and 3,650 feet east of the northwest corner of section 6, T. l7 N., R. 47 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part from November through June. Dry July through October.
Soil temperature - 47 to 52 degrees F.
Control section - Clay content: 45 to 60 percent. Rock fragments: 10 to 25 percent, mainly pebbles.
Depth to duripan and base of argillic horizon - 20 to 30 inches.
Depth to carbonates - 14 to 24 inches.
Other features - These soils have an abrupt textural change at the A - B horizon boundary.
A horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral or mildly alkaline.
Bt horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 through dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 6.
Reaction: Mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils are the Coils and Timblin series. Coils and Timblin soils have 35 to 45 percent clay in their argillic horizons and frigid soil temperature regimes.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Novacan soils are on fan piedmonts. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed volcanic rocks. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. Elevations are 6,200 to 7.000 feet. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches; mean annual temperature is 43 to 48 degrees F.; and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barrier, Glyphs, Muni and Orovada series. These soils have less than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Additionally, Glyphs and Orovada soils lack continuously strongly cemented duripans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly black sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, Sandberg bluegrass, pine bluegrass, and littleleaf horsebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, South Part, Nevada, l985.
REMARKS: The name is coined from a nearby canyon. Additional data: NSSL sample # S83NV-015-020.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 5 to 24 inches (the Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons).
Strongly cemented duripan - The zone from about 24 to 45 inches (the Bqkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 5 to 24 inches (the Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons).