LOCATION THULEPAH NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Thulepah very stony loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
The surface is covered with l5 percent pebbles, 3 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones.
A1--0 to 2 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) very stony loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent pebbles, 15 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 9 inches thick)
A2--2 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine through coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 10 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
2Bt1--6 to 13 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces, lining pores, and coating coarse fragments; 10 percent pebbles, neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
2Bt2--13 to 22 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; few tubular pores; few thin clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 25 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
2Bt3--22 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, with brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) mottles; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces and in pores; 40 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
3Bt4--28 to 37 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, with brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) mottles; common fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few roots; common fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces and in pores; 25 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
4Bt5--37 to 50 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, with brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) mottles; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few roots; few pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces and lining pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 40 inches thick)
4Bt6--50 to 62 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, with brownish yellow (10YR 6/3) and light olive green (2.5Y 5/6) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few roots; few fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on ped faces and lining pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4). (0 to 20 inches thick).
TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; in the area of Tule Peak; 2,200 feet south and 1,500 feet east of the northwest corner of section 3, T. 24 N., R. 20 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Moist winter, spring and early summer, dry late summer and fall.
Soil temperature: 43 to 47 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature: 56 to 59 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 16 to 22 inches including upper part of Bt horizons.
Depth to bedrock - Greater than 60 inches.
Profile reaction - Slightly acid or neutral.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3.
Bt horizon - Hue of 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Clay loam or silty clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Less than 35 percent.
Other features: Variegated colors with hues of 2.5YR or 5YR may be in the lower Bt horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bachus, Benteen, Cambern, Clayburn, Davtone, Decross, Demast, Dranyon, Echemoor, Gordo, Harmehl, Millerlake, Senchert, Stubbs, and Winu series. Bachus, Benteen, Cambern, Harmehl, Senchert, Stubbs and Winu soils are less than 40 inches deep. Clayburn soils have sola less than 50 inches thick and are usually moist except for 90 days. Davtone and Gordo soils have hue of 5YR or redder in the Bt horizon. Decross soils are calcareous in some parts of the solum. Demast and Dranyon soils are less than 60 inches deep and are never dry throughout for more than 60 consecutive days. Millerlake soils have Bk horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Thulepah soils are on rounded hilltops, mountain sides slopes and plateaus. Elevations are 7,500 to 9,000 feet. These soils may be at elevations below 5,000 feet on steeper north facing mountain side slopes. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. These soils have formed in residuum and colluvium from mixed but predominantly basaltic rock. They are in a cold, continental climate having mean annual precipitation of 12 to 16 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 41 to 44 degrees F. The frost-free season is 30 to 55 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gabica, Softscrabble and Mosquet soils. Gabica and Soft scrabble soils have a frigid soil temperature regime and more than 35 percent rock fragments in their control section. Also, Gabica soils have bedrock within 20 inches. Mosquet soils are clayey and have bedrock within 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium through rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, wooly wyethia, lupine, Idaho fescue, and common snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern area of Washoe County, Nevada. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County, South Part, Nevada, 1980.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to about 22 inches (A1, A2, 2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from about 6 inches (2Bt1 through 4Bt6 horizons.