LOCATION VADAHO NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Haploduridic Durixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vadaho silt loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted)
A--0 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bq--6 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent weak durinodes; continuous weak brittle matrix ; 5 percent pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bqk--13 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent weak durinodes; continuous weak brittle matrix ; 5 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (5 to 7 inches thick)
Bqkm--18 to 19 inches; indurated duripan with a continuous 1 to 2 mm thick silica laminae; violently effervescent. (1 to 12 inches thick)
2Cqk--19 to 26 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent weak durinodes; continuous weak brittle matrix; 10 percent pebble size duripan fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (0 to 8 inches thick)
3Bqkm--26 to 38 inches; indurated duripan with a continuous 2 to 7 mm thick silica laminae; violently effervescent. (10 to 16 inches thick)
4Cqk--38 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine tubular pores; continuous brittle matrix; 50 percent pebbles; moderately thick lime coats on pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4)
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 9 miles east of Jackpot, Nevada; about 1,000 feet east and 2,000 feet south of the northwest corner of section 20, T. 47 N., R. 66 E.; 41 degrees, 57 minutes, 01 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees, 30 minutes, 32 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in the winter and early spring, dry late June through October.
Soil temperature - 47 to 52 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 14 inches.
Depth to duripan - 14 to 20 inches.
Control section - Clay content: Averages 20 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 5 to 15 percent, mainly pebbles.
A horizon - Chroma: 2 or 3.
Bq horizon - Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Loam or silt loam.
Durinodes: 5 to 40 percent.
Bqk horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Loam or silt loam.
Durinodes: 5 to 40 percent.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent to violently effervescent.
2Cqk horizon (when present) - Durinodes: 5 to 40 percent.
Duripan fragments: 5 to 25 percent, mostly pebble size.
3Cqk horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 percent, mainly pebbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blalock (OR), Chainlink (T NV), Gorst (WA), Moxee (WA) and Urmafot (NV) series. Blalock soils have cambic horizons, lack Bq and Bqk horizons above the duripan and are 40 to 60 inches deep to shale. Chainlink soils contain 10 to 18 percent clay and have no durinodes above the pan. Gorst soils have cambic horizons and are noneffervescent throughout their profile. Moxee soils have cambic horizons and 5 to 10 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Urmafot soils contain 15 to 35 percent rock fragments and have no durinodes above the duripan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vadaho soils are on the summits of erosional fan remnants on the fan piedmont. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources with some influence from a surface mantle of loess and volcanic ash. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations are 5,200 to 6,000 feet. The climate is cool, semiarid, with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to l2 inches; the mean annual temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F.; and the frost-free season is 100 to l20 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bancy and Chayson soils. Bancy soils have 40 to 50 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Chayson soils have a duripan that is 20 to 40 inches deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, basin big sagebrush, lupine and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 25.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, Northeast Part. 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 13 inches (A and Bq horizons).
Indurated duripan - The zone from 18 to 19 inches (Bqkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 18 inches (part of the Bq and Bqk horizons).