LOCATION UHALDI NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Uhaldi very stony loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 1 inch; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 25 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--1 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular and vesicular pores; 25 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A3--2 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4) clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick).
Bt1--5 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong medium and fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, and few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--8 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bt3--16 to 24 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Cr--24 inches; weathered tuffaceous sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; about 11 miles east and 7 miles north of Gardnerville; approximately 1,500 feet north of the south quarter corner of section 30, T. 14 N., R. 22 E.; USGS Mineral Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 39 degrees 02 minutes 50 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 33 minutes 19 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry; moist November thru June; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 12 to 16 inches; includes the upper part of the argillic horizon.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 20 to 40 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered and fractured tuffaceous sedimentary rocks. The weathered bedrock can be dug with a tile spade and roots penetrate along fracture planes.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent;
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent cobbles and stones, 15 to 35 percent gravel.
Reaction: Moderately acid through neutral.
Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bissell, Bjork, Cowiche, Dodes, Fernpoint, Hullsgulch, Indiano, Jerusalem, Madras, Margerum, Noslo, Orr, Pahrange, Quailridge, Quiero, Ralls, Shoebend, Simcoe, Springmeyer, Truax, and Wenatchee series.
Bissell, Cowiche, Fernpoint, Hullsgulch, Jerusalem, Margerum, Orr, Quailridge, Ralls, Springmeyer, Truax, and Wenatchee are more than 40 inches deep. Bjork, Noslo, and Shoebend soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments. Dodes soils lack cobbles or stones and have 10 to 30 percent paragravel of tuffaceous rock or diatomite in the particle-size control section. Indiano, Madras, Quiero, and Simcoe soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Pahrange soils have mollic epipedons 8 to 12 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Uhaldi soils are on the rock pediments, plateaus, and hills. These soils formed in colluvium derived from tuffaceous sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and mudstone. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 5,500 to 6,500 feet. The climate is semiarid cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches, the mean annual temperature is 44 to 47 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 115 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cagle, Devada, Duco, Nosrac, and Searles soils. Cagle soils have a clayey argillic horizon. Devada and Duco soils have a lithic contact within 20 inches. Nosrac soils are very deep. Searles soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very high surface runoff; moderately slow permeability (moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Uhaldi soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Ribes sp., and Thurber's needlegrass with scattered invasion of singleleaf pinyon.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 26, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 23.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Nevada, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedons are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 16 inches (A1, A2, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 24 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 24 inches to underlying weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 24 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).