LOCATION ASHMED NV
Established Series
Rev. JR/RLB/WED
04/2015
ASHMED SERIES
The Ashmed series consists of very deep, well drained soils on fan piedmont remnants. Ashmed soils formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 62 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Ashmed gravelly fine sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted) About 60 percent of the soil surface is covered with pebbles, 10 percent with cobbles.
A1--0 to 4 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium vesicular pores, 20 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
A2--4 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine vesicular pores, 15 percent pebbles; violently effervescent, very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
2Btk--7 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium interstitial pores; few thin clay films bridging sand grains and lining pores; 70 percent pebbles; 10 percent cobbles, and 3 percent stones; many coarse soft lime masses, common lime coating on rock fragments; violently effervescent, strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 20 inches thick)
2Bk--24 to 32 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 65 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles, and 2 percent stones; patchy lime coating on rock fragments; violently effervescent, strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick)
3C--32 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles, 3 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; approximately 1.7 miles southeast of Ash Meadows Rancho and about 2,500 feet north and 500 feet west of the southeast corner of section 36 T. 18 S., R. 50 E. MDBLM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry. The upper part of the moisture control section is moist for a very short time in late winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days intermittently following summer convection storms.
Soil temperature - 63 to 72 degrees F.
A horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist or dry.
Btk horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist or dry.
Texture: Extremely gravelly sandy clay loam or extremely gravelly clay loam.
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent.
Structure: Weak subangular blocky or massive.
Sodium adsorption ratio: 13 to 35.
Secondary lime: Many soft lime masses in most pedons.
Bk horizon - Value: 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist or dry.
Texture: Extremely gravelly sandy loam or extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, mainly pebbles.
Other features: Few gypsum crystals in some pedons.
C horizon - Value: 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist or dry.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, or very gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, mainly pebbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Bitter (NV),
Bitter Spring (NV),
Blind (T AZ),
Highland (T NV),
Peskah (T NV),
Pinaleno (AZ),
Searchlight (NV),
Soledad (NV),
Timosea (T CA) and
Topawa (AZ) series. Bitter, Bitter Spring and Pinaleno soils have hues of 7.5YR or redder in the argillic horizon. In addition, Bitter and Bitter Spring soils have less than 60 percent rock fragments in the control section. Pinaleno soils are noncalcareous in the upper part of the solum with prominent calcic horizons in lower part. Blind soils contain 35 to 65 percent rock fragments and the argillic horizon extends to 60 inches or more. Highland soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Peskah, Timosea and Topawa soils contain 35 to 50 percent rock fragments in the control section. Searchlight soils contain buried Bt horizons and contain 12 to 18 percent clay in the Bt. Soledad soils contain 8 to 18 percent clay in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ashmed soils are on fan piedmonts remnants. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. Elevations are 2,000 to 3,000 feet. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and mild winters. The mean annual precipitation is 3 to 6 inches; mean annual temperature is 62 to 70 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 210 to 220 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Armpup series. They are found on pediment remnants, and have fine, control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Medium runoff, permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mining, rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly desertholly, seepweed, and chorizanthe.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Nye County, Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 30.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES PROPOSED: Nye County (Southwest Part), Nevada, 1982. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 7 inches (A1 and A2)
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 7 to 24 inches (2Btk horizon).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.