LOCATION SQUAWVAL NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Squawval loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 17 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--14 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bt3--27 to 35 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
Cr--35 inches; weathered quartz monzonite.
TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; about 13 miles north-northwest of Gerlach in the Granite Range; approximately 2,200 feet north and 300 feet west of the southeast corner of section 13, T. 34 N., R. 22 E.; USGS The Banjo 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 49 minutes 53 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 25 minutes 42 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and early spring, dry in late summer and fall; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic..
Mean annual soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 54 to 59 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 40 inches; includes the Bt horizons.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered granitic rock.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 25 percent;
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel. The lithology is granitic rocks such as granite, granodiorite, or quartz monzonite.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Structure: Weak or moderate fine or medium subangular blocky.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Bt horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, may be 4 in lower part of some pedons.
Texture: Loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Sand content: 45 to 70 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.
Structure: Weak to strong fine or medium subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry, very friable or friable moist.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly acid.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bachus, Bavdark, Benteen, Brushtop (T), Clayburn, Croydon, Crystalbutte, Davtone, Decross, Dehana, Demast, Dranburn, Dranyon, Echemoor, Hagenbarth, Hoopgobel (T), Millerlake, Odark (T), Pontuge (T), Senchert, Southmount, Stubbs, Thulepah, Vadnais, and Winu series.
Bachus soils have a lithic contact within 40 inches and have moderately acid or slightly acid reaction in the argillic horizon. Bavdark, Brushtop, Clayburn, Croydon, Davtone, Decross, Dehana, Demast, Dranburn, Dranyon, Hagenbarth, Millerlake, Odark, Pontuge, Southmount, and Thulepah soils are deeper than 40 inches to bedrock. Benteen, Crystalbutte, and Echemoor soils have more than 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Hoopgobel soils have mean annual soil temperature of 39 to 42 degrees F. and have subhorizons of the argillic horizon with identifiable secondary carbonates and 5 to 20 percent paragravel of tuff. Senchert soils have mean annual temperatures of 38 to 40 degrees F. and mean summer soil temperatures of 44 to 47 degrees F. Stubbs soils are effervescent within 36 inches. Vadnais soils have a lithic contact within 40 inches and have mean annual soil temperatures of 39 to 43 degrees F. Winu soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts and have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Squawval soils are on mountains. They typically occur on summit and shoulder positions. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rocks with surficial additions of loess. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 6,400 to 9,400 feet. The climate is semiarid with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 18 inches, the mean annual temperature is 40 to 44 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 30 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Tosp soil. Tosp soils do not have bedrock within 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low or medium surface runoff; moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Squawval soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, snowberry, basin wildrye, bluegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 2,200 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 23.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County, Nevada (Central Part), 1990.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 35 inches (A1, A2, Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 35 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 35 inches to underlying weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 25 inches (Bt1 horizon and part of the Bt2 horizon).