LOCATION CAPHOR                  NV

Established Series
CEJ/RPZ/GJS
11/2016

CAPHOR SERIES

The Caphor series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Caphor soils are on fan skirts. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 cm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Caphor fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very few fine roots; common very fine, few fine and medium vesicular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--8 to 18 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very few very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine, few very fine and medium vesicular pores; 5 percent gravel; common fine carbonate coats on undersides of gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 13 cm thick)

Bqk1--18 to 43 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; l0 percent weakly cemented durinodes; few fine carbonate filaments or threads; common medium carbonate and silica coats on undersides of gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 53 cm thick)

Bqk2--43 to 89 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 55 percent light gray (10YR 7/2) discontinuous thick lenses of very hard, very firm, strong silica cementation; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 5 percent gravel; common medium carbonate and silica coats on underside of gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (23 to 56 cm thick)

2Cqk--89 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 30 percent gravel; common thin carbonate and silica coats on undersides of gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada, about 15 miles southeast of Austin in the north part of Big Smoky Valley; approximately 2,000 feet south and 1,300 feet west of the northeast corner of section 14, T. 17 N., R. 45 E.; USGS Birch Creek Ranch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 20 seconds 9 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 52 minutes 47 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.3358333 latitude, -116.8797222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist for short periods in November through May; aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to 2Ck horizon: 60 to 100 CM.
Depth to discontinuous strong cementation: 38 to 76 CM.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline increasing with depth.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Less than 15 percent, when mixed, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

Bqk1 horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Fine sandy loam or sandy loam.

Bqk2 horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Cementation: 20 to 60 percent discontinuous strong silica cementation in a friable matrix.
Texture: Fine sandy loam or sandy loam.

2Cqk horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Stratified loamy sand or coarse sand, modified by 25 to 50 percent gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bubus and Valmy series.

Bubus and Valmy soils lack strong discontinuous silica cementation and sandy textured 2Ck horizons above 100 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Caphor soils are on fan skirts. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Elevations are 1,650 to 1,770 meters. The climate is cool, arid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 130 to 200 mm; mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is l00 to l20 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Batan, Tenabo and Unsel soils. Batan soils have a fine-silty particle size control section. Tenabo and Unsel soils have argillic horizons. In addition, Tenabo soils have an indurated duripan within a depth of 50 cm.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly shadscale, bud sagebrush and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, Nevada, South Part, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 18 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Discontinuous strong silica cementation - The zone from about 43 to 89 cm (Bqk horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bqk1, Bqk2 and 2Cqk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.