LOCATION REESE              NV+OR
Established Series
Rev. CEJ-RLB-JVC
08/2003

REESE SERIES


The Reese series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from volcanic ash and volcanic rocks. Reese soils are on alluvial flats and flood plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Duric Halaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Reese silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine vesicular and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)

A2--5 to 9 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine, few medium, and few coarse roots; many very fine vesicular and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 13 inches thick)

C--9 to 19 inches; variegated light gray (10YR 7/2) pale brown (10YR 6/3) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam, variegated brown (10YR 4/3) and dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, few fine medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

Cq--19 to 27 inches; variegated pale brown (10YR 6/3) and light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, variegated brown (10YR 4/3) and dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine, few fine, and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; continuous faint silica coats on faces of peds and many silica coats lining pores; 45 percent 5 to 20 millimeter diameter moderately cemented durinodes; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

Cqk1--27 to 49 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam, variegated dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak thick platy structure; very hard, firm and very firm, brittle; few very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist masses of iron accumulation; continuous brittle matrix and thin silica coats lining pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 22 inches)

Cqk2--49 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) silty clay loam, variegated grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and dark gray (5Y 4/1) moist; massive; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; 40 percent 5 to 15 millimeter diameter moderately cemented durinodes; 20 percent discontinuous weak silica cementation; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; about 3.7 miles south of Battle Mountain on the flood plain of the Reese River; about 1,750 feet west of the approximate southeast corner of section 5, T. 31 N., R. 45 E.; USGS Blossom Spring 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 34 minutes 49 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees 55 minutes 32 seconds west longitude, NAD27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually moist in the moisture control section in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; Saturated at depths of 12 to 36 inches between March and July; Xeric moisture regime.

Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.

Depth to horizons with firm consistence and a brittle manner of failure - 15 to 30 inches.

Reaction - Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).

Sodicity (SAR) - 13 to 500 in the upper 20 inches and decreases with depth.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 30 percent; Sand content: More than 15 percent fine sand and coarser; Rock fragments: Up to 5 percent pebbles below 25 inches in many pedons.

A horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist.

C, Cq, and Cqk horizons - Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, and sandy clay loam; Some pedons have thin strata of coarse sandy loam or sandy loam.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry, very friable to firm, moist and slightly sticky to very sticky wet. A brittle manner of failure may exist in the matrix when moist consistence is firm or very firm.
Secondary silica and durinodes: Cq horizons are brittle in the matrix with subhorizons containing 20 to 50 percent durinodes.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Colors are usually variegated and redox concentrations are present as masses of iron accumulation.
Other features: Buried A horizons are at depths below 20 inches in some pedons; Stratified sand and gravel are at depths below 42 inches in some pedons; Concretions of secondary calcium carbonate are below depths of 20 inches in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Charnock series. Charnock soils do not have a horizon that has a matrix with firm consistence when moist and a brittle manner of failure.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Reese soils are on alluvial flats and flood plains. These soils formed in alluvium derived from volcanic ash and volcanic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 4,200 to 4,800 feet. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches, the mean annual temperature is 46 to 50 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Batan, Bubus, Duffer, Sombrero, and Sonoma soils. Batan soils are fine-silty and have durinodes in a friable matrix. Bubus soils are coarse-loamy and have durinodes in a friable matrix. Duffer soils are fine-silty and have calcic horizons. Sombrero soils are shallow to duripans. Sonoma soils are fine-silty and have buried A horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; high surface runoff; slow permeability. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 3.0 and 5.0 feet (moderately deep and deep free water occurrence classes) year-round and ranges up to depths of 1.0 to 3.0 feet for brief periods during the spring runoff period between March and July. Cumulative annual duration class for deep endosaturation is Persistent. Flooding is none, rare or occasional. Some phases are susceptible to frequent ponding for long duration year-round with water up to 1.0 foot deep. A drained phase is recognized.

USE AND VEGETATION: Reese soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly black greasewood, alkali sacaton, alkali bluegrass, basin wildrye, and inland saltgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada and south-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 24, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 23.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County (North Part), Nevada, 1974.

REMARKS: The revision of July 2003 updated the taxonomic class from Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aeric Halaquepts. Future study is needed to determine the amount of volcanic glass in this series and whether the taxonomic class should be changed to Ashy, glassy, calcareous, mesic Aquandic Halaquepts.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 9 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).

Durinodes - The zones from 19 to 27 inches and 49 to 60 inches (Cq and Cqk2 horizons).

Duric feature - The zone from 27 to 40 inches (Cqk1 horizon).

Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 18 and 36 inches at certain times during normal years (parts of the C, Cq, and Cqk1 horizons).

Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Cq horizon and parts of the C and Cqk1 horizon).

The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. Property data in NASIS validates the superactive activity class.

ADDITIONAL DATA: A pedon from Lake County, Oregon is reference sampled for the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S86OR-037-005 (pedon # 86P0991). Selected data are available.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.