LOCATION BROYLES                 NV

Established Series
Rev. JBF/PWB
02/2016

BROYLES SERIES


The Broyles series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a thin surficial mantle of loess and volcanic ash. Broyles soils are on fan remnants, fan skirts, fan aprons, inset fans, beach plains, and alluvial flats. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 180 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy, glassy over mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Broyles ashy silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 13 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine vesicular pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

Bw--13 to 33 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) ashy silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly effervescent in spots; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 53 cm thick)

Bk--33 to 56 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) ashy fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly effervescent but strongly effervescent in spots; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 cm thick)

2Bqk1--56 to 112 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) finely stratified paragravelly sandy loam and loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent very hard, very firm and brittle durinodes; slightly effervescent but strongly effervescent in many coarse distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) threads of secondary calcium carbonate; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 66 cm thick)

2Bqk2--112 to 142 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) very paragravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; many very coarse distinct brown (10YR 4/3) mottles; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent extremely hard and extremely firm durinodes; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (20 to 61 cm thick)

2C--142 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent fine gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; about 5 miles south of the town of Beowawe; approximately 1,850 feet west and 250 feet south of the northeast corner of section 5, T. 30 N., R. 49 E.; USGS Beowawe 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 30 minutes 33 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 28 minutes 50 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.5091667 latitude, -116.4805556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist for short periods through mid spring, dry in late May through November; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 13 degrees C.
Depth to base of cambic horizon: 25 to 60 cm.
Other features: Some pedons have strongly cemented duripans below 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel with the greater percentage commonly in the lower part;

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry and moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Carbonates: Normally noncalcareous but may be effervescent in some pedons due to recharge from dust.
Volcanic glass: Volcanic glass is estimated to range from 30 to 50 percent of the 0.2 to 2 mm fraction.

Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry and moist.
Texture: Ashy loam, ashy fine sandy loam, ashy very fine sandy loam or ashy silt loam
Structure: Weak fine or medium subangular blocky, platy, or prismatic or it is massive.
Consistence: Soft to hard dry; very friable or friable, moist; slightly plastic or moderately plastic, wet.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Volcanic glass: volcanic glass is estimated to range from 30 to 50 percent of the 0.2 to 2 mm fraction.

2Bqk horizons
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Texture: Loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam and loamy sand Texture modifiers: Gravelly, paragravelly, or very paragravelly.
Secondary silica: 20 to 75 percent durinodes; some pedons have very weak silica cementation in the matrix surrounding the durinodes.
Consistence: Nonplastic or slightly plastic, wet.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons have subhorizons with few or common fine gypsum in filaments or seams.
Volcanic glass: volcanic glass is estimated to range from 2 to 10 percent of the 0.2 to 2 mm fraction

2C horizon (may be absent in some pedons)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry and moist.
Texture: Loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam and loamy sand
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Broyles soils are on fan aprons, fan remnants, inset fans, fan skirts, beach plains, and alluvial fans. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a thin mantle of loess and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations are 1,220 to 1,980 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 100 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beoska, Beowawe, and Creemon soils. Beoska soils have a natric horizon. Beowawe soils have a fine-loamy natric horizon and weakly silica-cemented Bkq horizon. Creemon soils are coarse-silty.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Broyles soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly shadscale, bud sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. These soils are extensive with about 176,000 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 24, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nye County (Big Smoky Valley Area), Nevada, 1972.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and part of the Bw horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 13 to 33 cm (Bw horizon).
Duric horizon - The zone from 56 to 142 cm (2Bqk1 and 2Bqk2 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 56 to 142 cm (2Bqk1 and 2Bqk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bk horizon and parts of the Bw and 2Bqk1 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Previous authors and editors include: DMC-RAF-JVC.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.