LOCATION SLIPBACK NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Slipback sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 5 percent pebbles.
A1--O to 4 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 10 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A2--4 to 7 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 2 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
AB--7 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores 10 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Bt--9 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist, weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 15 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Btn--13 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 25 percent pebbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Btnk--16 to 24 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; continuous thin clay films on ped faces and lining pores; many fine, medium and coarse lime filaments; 5 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 19 inches thick)
2Bky--24 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 5 percent hard, firm, 2 to 5 millimeter durinodes; common fine strongly effervescent lime filaments; few fine soft masses of gypsum; 15 percent pebbles; noneffervescent matrix; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
3Cy---38 to 46 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; few fine soft masses of gypsum; 10 percent pebbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
3C--46 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial and tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Pershing County, Nevada; approximately 10 miles east of Mt. Limbo near Juniper Springs, about 2,300 feet west and 2,400 feet north of the southeast corner of section 30, T. 28 N., R. 26 E., 40 degrees, 16 minutes, 03 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees, 06 minutes, 18 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - moist in winter and early spring, dry from June through November.
Soil temperature- 53 to 57 degrees F.
Depth to carbonates - 12 to 25 inches.
Depth to the base of the natric horizon - 20 to 40 inches.
A horizon - Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 3.
Bt horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, and 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam, gravelly loam or gravelly sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent, mainly fine gravel.
Structure: Prismatic or subangular blocky with some subhorizon that are prismatic.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry and very friable through firm moist, slightly sticky or sticky and plastic or very plastic wet.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline, usually increasing with depth.
SAR: Btn and Btnk horizons range from 13 to 45.
Effervescence: Typically noneffervescent in the upper part and slightly effervescent or violently effervescent in the lower part. Some pedons are violently effervescent in all parts.
2Bk horizons - Hue 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, and 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Coarse sandy loam, gravelly coarse sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam.
Clay content: 3 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent mainly fine pebbles.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry and very friable or friable moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Other features: In some pedons there are subhorizons with up to 10 percent durinodes in a friable matrix.
3C horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Loamy coarse sand, sand, coarse sand.
Clay content: 2 to 6 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent, mainly fine pebbles. Some pedons have up to 50 percent pebbles.
Structure: Horizon is massive or single grained.
Consistence: Loose, soft or slightly hard, dry and loose or very friable moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Other features: In some pedons these horizons are not present within a depth of 50 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Antelope Springs (UT), Calnat (T)(CA), Mesman (OR) and Wespac (T)(CA) series. Antelope Springs soils have mean annual soil temperatures of 48 to 51 degrees F, a solum that is 8 to 20 inches thick and have Bk and C horizons with textures of loam to clay. Calnat soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Mesman soils have mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F., and stratified very fine sandy loam, silt loam and loam textures below the argillic horizon. Wespac soils contain less than 5 percent rock fragments in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Slipback soils are on erosional fan piedmont remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived mainly from granite. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations are 4,200 to 6,100 feet. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches; mean annual temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Deadyon, Granshaw, Nodur and Shawave series. Deadyon and Granshaw soils have a coarse--loamy particle size control section. Nodur soils have weakly cemented Bq horizons. Shawave soils have a fine-loamy particle size control section with 18 to 27 percent clay and a sodium absorption ratio of less than 13 in the argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff; moderately slow over rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION:- Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, bud sagebrush, bottlebrush squirrel, spiny hopsage and pine bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwest Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 27,28B.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County, Nevada, West Part, 1988.
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. The remainder of this document has not been updated.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedons are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 9 inches (A1, A2 and AB horizons).
Natric horizon - The zone from about 13 to 24 inches (Btn and Btnk horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 9 to 24 inches (Bt, Btn and Btnk horizons).
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. The remainder of this document has not been updated.