LOCATION SPRINGMEYER NV+CA UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Springmeyer gravelly fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 25 percent pebbles and 1 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 9 inches thick)
A2--3 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 25 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds, lining pores, and bridging sand grains; 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--16 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds, lining pores, and on bottoms of rock fragments; 20 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
BC--22 to 62 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure in upper part and massive in lower part; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few clay films on faces of peds in the upper part of the horizon; many fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few medium distinct reddish brown (5YR 5/4) relict masses of iron accumulation; 30 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; about 2,200 feet southwest of the west abutment of Mud Lake Reservoir; about 500 feet north and 1,350 feet west of the southeast corner of section 4, T. 11 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Carters Station 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 50 minutes 30 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 44 minutes 33 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist from November to early June, dry from early June through early November for about 145 consecutive days; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 20 inches; includes the Bt1 horizon.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 20 to 40 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent; Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are mainly volcanic rocks such as andesite.
A horizons - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Granular, subangular blocky, or platy.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Organic matter content: 1 to 5 percent.
Bt horizons - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay loam, sandy clay loam, or gravelly sandy clay loam.
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent.
Structure: Prismatic or subangular blocky.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 3 percent.
BC or C horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified extremely gravelly loamy sand to sandy clay loam.
Rock fragments: 5 to 70 percent.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.
Other features: Relict redox concentrations of iron are in the B and C horizons of some pedons; Up to 5 percent durinodes are in some pedons below 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bissell, Bjork, Cowiche, Dodes, Fernpoint, Hullsgulch, Indiano, Jerusalem, Madras, Margerum, Noslo, Orr, Pahrange, Quailridge (T), Quiero, Ralls, Shoebend, Simcoe, Truax, Uhaldi, and Wenatchee series.
Bissell and Cowiche soils have less than 5 percent rock fragments. Bjork, Dodes, Pahrange, Noslo, Shoebend, and Uhaldi soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Fernpoint and Orr soils have 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Hullsgulch and Quailridge soils are more moist during summer and fall and have sandy textures with lamellae below the argillic horizon. Indiano, Madras, Quiero, and Simcoe soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Jerusalem soils have depth to the base of the argillic horizon of more than 60 inches. Margerum soils contain 15 to 35 percent pumice pararock fragments, have a large component of volcanic ash, and have combined thickness of the A and Bt horizons of 40 to 52 inches. Ralls soils have slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline A and Bt horizons and are dry in all parts for about 105 to 120 consecutive days in most years. Truax soils average 20 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have Bq horizons. Wenatchee soils have a component of loess and volcanic ash and very firm moist consistence in the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Springmeyer soils are on fan remnants and inset fans. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous rocks. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 4,000 to 7,500 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 14 inches, the mean annual temperature is 45 to 57 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 80 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aldax, Borda, Reno, and Indian Creek soils. Aldax soils are loamy-skeletal. Borda and Reno soils are fine. Indian Creek soils are clayey and shallow to duripans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or high surface runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Springmeyer soils are used for rangeland, pasture, and hay production. The vegetation is principally Wyoming big sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, singleleaf pinyon, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Sandberg's bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada, northeastern California, and western Utah. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 26, while other acreage occurs in MLRAs 21, 23, and 28A.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County (Carson Valley Area), Nevada, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 16 inches (A1, A2, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 22 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 22 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).