LOCATION ZORRAVISTA NV+CA OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Xeric Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Zorravista fine sand, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; single grained; loose when dry and moist, nonsticky and nonplastic; few micro roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
C1--4 to 29 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; single grained; loose when dry and moist, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); diffuse smooth boundary. (17 to 36 inches thick)
C2--29 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; single grained; loose when dry and moist, nonsticky and nonplastic; many micro and few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; The site is located about 200 feet north and west of the southeast corner of section 17, T. 37 N., R. 19 E.; 41 degrees 5 minutes 2 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 52 minutes 7 seconds west longitude, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry, dry mid spring through fall, moist winter and early spring. Aridic bordering xeric moisture.
Soil temperature - 47 to 52 degrees F.
Other features: Effervescent to at least 20 inches.
Control section - Clay content: Less than 5 percent.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Structure: Single grained or platy.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.
C horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4.
Texture: Fine sand, sand or loamy fine sand.
Clay content: Less than 5 percent in the upper part.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Structure: Single grained or massive.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Consistence: Soft to slightly hard or loose dry, very friable or loose moist.
Other features: Some pedons contain lacustrine lake sediments below 44 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Berent(UT), Goldrun(NV), Hotsprings(NV), Incy(NV), Lachim (CA), Painter (ID), Quincy(WA), Quinton(OR), Rinquin(T WA), Toll(NV), Walco(T ID) and Winchester(WA) series. Berent soils are noncalcareous to a depth of 36 inches. Goldrun soils are noncalcareous to a depth of 17 to 35 inches. Hotsprings soils have 20 to 35 percent gravel in the particle-size control section. Incy soils are noncalcareous throughout the profile. Quincy soils are noncalcareous to a depth of 15 inches. Quinton, Lachim, Painter, Rinquin and Walco soils have bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Toll soils are noncalcareous and are slightly acid or neutral throughout. Winchester soils are noncalcareous to a depth of 20 to 30 inches and have more than 75 percent medium sand or coarser in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zorravista soils are on semi-stabilized sand dunes and sand sheets superimposed on beach terraces, barrier bars, lake plains and alluvial fans. These soils formed in mixed aeolian materials. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations are 3,900 to 6,200 feet. The climate is cool, semiarid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches; mean annual temperature is 46 to 51 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 80 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hinton, Lolak, Pegler and Vylach series. Hinton soils are sandy-skeletal and have a hard, firm brittle layer at 10 to 20 inches. Lolak soils are poorly drained and fine textured. Pegler soils have formed in loamy residuum from tuffs and are shallow. Vylach soils have clay loam B2t horizons and weakly silica-cemented C horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; very slow runoff; very rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, horsebrush, spiny hopsage, indian ricegrass and fourwing saltbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Nevada and southeastern Oregon. These soils are extensive. MLRA 23, 24, 27.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area, Washoe County, Nevada. 1968.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 10 to 40 inches (lower C1, upper C2 horizons)
Xeric feature - Aridic moisture regime bordering Xeric.