LOCATION WIFTON NVTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Wifton extremely stony sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partly covered with 10 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones.
A1--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely stony sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 10 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles and 30 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely stony sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles and 30 percent stones; mildly alkaline (pH 7.9); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 17 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely stony sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; 30 percent cobbles and 30 percent stones; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bk1--17 to 36 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely stony sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; few thin lime coats on undersides of rock fragments; 10 percent pebbles; 30 percent cobbles and 30 percent stones; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
Bk2--36 to 55 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely stony sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; few thin lime coats on undersides of rock fragments; 5 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles and 35 percent stones; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 9 miles southeast of Montello; about 1,750 feet east and 100 feet south of the northwest corner of section 29, T. 38 N., R. 70 E.; 41 degrees, 09 minutes, 12 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees, 04 minutes, 31 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in the winter and spring, dry mid-June through October, for about 90 to 115 days following the summer solstice.
Soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
Depth to carbonates - 10 to 20 inches.
Reaction - Mildly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
A horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Bw and Bk horizons - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, mainly cobbles and stones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bluegulch(T), Cewat, Darkcanyon, Felcher(T), Finley, Graveya(T), Kiona, Mackey, Minat, Nibbs, Panlee, Veet, and Veta series. Bluegulch and Panlee soils have bedrock within 40 to 60 inches of the soil surface. In addition, Panlee soils have indurated hardpans capping the bedrock. Cewat, Darkcanyon, Felcher, and Mackey soils have bedrock within 20 to 40 inches of the soil surface. Finley soils have 2C horizons with texture of sand or loamy sand in the fine earth fraction and the rock fragments in the control section are mainly pebbles. Graveya, Minat, Nibbs, Veet and Veta soils have rock fragments that are mainly pebbles in the series control section. Graveya soils also have 2Bkq horizons with silica and lime coating rock fragments. Minat soils also have 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the control section, textures of loam or fine sandy loam and Bqk horizons with durinodes. Nibbs soils also have stratified sand and gravel at depths of 21 to 41 inches and silt loam or loam Bw horizon textures. Veet soils also have 35 to 60 percent rock fragments, mainly pebbles in the control section and mean annual soil temperature of 53 to 59 degrees F. Veta soils also have mean annual soil temperatures of 50 to 53 degrees F., and are noncalcareous to 28 inches or more. Kiona soils have 35 to 75 percent rock fragments that are mainly angular basalt cobbles. In addition, Kiona soils have cobbly or very cobbly silt loam, loam or very fine sandy loam Bw horizon, mean annual soil temperature of 50 to 54 degrees F., and are dry for 115 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wifton soils are on alluvial fans. They formed in alluvium and colluvium from mixed rock sources. Elevations are 5,100 to 5,900 feet. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. The climate is semiarid, with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches; the mean annual air temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F.; the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Holborn, Jericho and Kzin series. Holborn soils are very shallow over soft rock. Jericho soils are shallow to duripans. Kzin soils are shallow over soft rock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, spiny hopsage, Indian ricegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Nevada, MLRA 28. This series is not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES PROPOSED: Elko County, Nevada, Northeast Part, 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to about 6 inches (The A1, A2 and part of the Bw horizon).
Cambic horizon - the zone from about 5 to 17 inches (the Bw horizon).
Xerollic feature - soil moisture regime and organic carbon content meets the requirements for "Xerollic".
Particle-size control section - the zone from about 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw, the Bk1 and part of the Bk2 horizon).
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.