LOCATION ARGEE                   NV

Tentative Series
Rev. PWB/TM/JBF
02/2018

ARGEE SERIES

Argee series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from siltstone. Argee soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 460 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Haplocryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Argee loam--aspen woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 15 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent channers; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

A2--15 to 41 cm thick; brown (10YR 5/3) channery clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, many medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine, common medium and coarse tubular pores; 15 percent channers; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 28 cm thick)

Bw--41 to 56 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) channery clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine, common medium and coarse tubular pores; 20 percent channers; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)

C--56 to 94 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very channery clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 40 percent channers; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (30 to 46 cm thick)

Cr--94 to 102 cm; soft siltstone; slightly effervescent

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 1 mile northwest of Waterlog Summit; about 2300 feet west and 100 feet north of the southwest corner of section 24 T. 45 N., R. 55 E.; USGS Tennessee Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 46 minutes 33 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees, 43 minutes, 18 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.7758333 latitude, -115.7216667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist late fall through early summer, dry September and October. Completely moist for more than 150 days following the winter solstice; xeric soil moisture regime
Additional soil moisture: Supplied by lateral water movement in the lower part of the control section. This additional moisture is transitory and dependent on snowpack and is sporadic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 4 to 7 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature: 10 to 13 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 40 to 100 cm.
Depth to paralithic contact: 76 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 28 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Average 15 to 35 percent mainly siltstone channers.

A horizon
Value: 3 through 5; dry 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3

Bw horizon
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: Clay loam or silty clay loam
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, mainly siltstone channers.
Structure: Weak or moderate medium or coarse subangular blocky.
Other features: Few to common worm casts in upper part of horizon that are filled with A horizon material.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry; very friable or friable, moist.

C horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 3 through 6
Texture: Silty clay loam or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly siltstone channers.
Structure: Massive or weak medium subangular blocky.
Other features: Some pedons are slightly effervescent in the matrix in the lower part of the horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adel, Bullbasin, Duff, Hackwood, Houlihan, Lamphier, Leavittville, Lespate, Ohbejoyful, Osmund, Pavohroo, Rhone, Secondset, Strickland, Taterheap and Winevada series.

Adel, Duff, Hackwood, Houlihan, Lamphier, Leavittville, Ohbejoyful, Osmund, Pavohroo, Rhone and Taterheap soils are more than 100 cm deep to bedrock. Bullbasin soils contain 5 to 25 percent rock fragments dominantly gravel size and have bedrock at 100 to 150. Lespate soils have Bk horizon and overlies hard bedrock. Secondset soils are moderately deep over hard bedrock. Strickland soils have cambic horizons that have evidence of secondary clay movement and lack channers and have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Winevada soils have a lithic contact that range from 50 to 100 cm and contain 18 to 27 percent clay and have mollic epipedon that range from 40 to 76 cm thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Argee soils are on mountains. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from siltstone. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,895 to 2,290 meters. The climate is cold, semiarid with cold, wet winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 500 mm. The mean annual temperature is about 3 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 60 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Belsac and Onkeyo soils. Belsac and Onkeyo soils have a loamy-skeletal particle size control section. Additionally Onkeyo soils are shallow to a lithic contact.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly quaking aspen with a sparse understory of mountain brome.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of northeastern Nevada. MLRA 25. These soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Elko County, Nevada, 1995. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 41 cm (A and A2 horizons).
Particle- size control section - The zone from 25 to 94 cm (part of the A2, Bw2 and C horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.