LOCATION DENAY                   NV

Established Series
Rev. PWB/RLB/JBF
02/2016

DENAY SERIES

The Denay series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from limestone and calcareous shale with a component from loess. The Denay soils are on mountain and hill side slopes. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Calcixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Denay gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry conditions unless otherwise noted).

A--0 to 25 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

Bw--25 to 46 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

Bk1--46 to 61 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) extremely gravelly loam that is weakly lime-cemented; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; hard and very hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 70 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 43 cm thick)

Bk2--61 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 70 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; about 2,600 feet north and 700 feet east of the southwest corner of section 27, T. 35 N., R. 50 E.; USGS Rodeo Creek NE 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 52 minutes 51 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 21 minutes 0 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.8808333 latitude, -116.3500000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry from late June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to Bk horizon: 38 to 60 cm.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Other features: Effervescent throughout except in the surface 5 to 8 cm of some pedons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 10 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 75 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2.
Structure: Weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky or granular or weak medium or coarse prismatic or it is massive.

Bw horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Very gravelly loam or extremely gravelly loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Structure: Weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky.

Bk horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4.
Texture: Extremely gravelly loam or extremely gravelly silt loam.
Structure: Subangular blocky or it is massive.
Consistence: Soft to very hard dry, friable to very friable moist.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Becreek, Deecree, Eenreed, Nirac, Pamison, Rudeen, Wereld and Xine series.

Becreek and Deecree soils lack weak lime cementation. Eenreed soils moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September. Nirac, Rudeen and Xine soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Pamison soils have continuously lime and silica cemented Bkq horizons extending into a Ckq horizon that is weakly silica cemented from 50 to 150 cm. Wereld soils are 100 to 150 cm to bedrock and lack a cambic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Denay soils are on mountain and hill side slopes. These soils formed in colluvium derived from limestone and calcareous shale with a component from loess. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,670 to 1,980 meters. The climate is cool and semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is about 90 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bobs and Coff soils. Bobs soils have carbonatic mineralogy and a petrocalcic horizon within a depth of 50 cm. Coff soils have carbonatic mineralogy and petrocalcic horizon within a depth of 90 cm.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Sandberg bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, big sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail and basin wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central and northeast Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24, 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, Tuscarora Mountain Area, 1979.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 25 cm (A horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 25 to 46 cm (Bw horizon).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 46 to 61 cm (Bk horizon).
Aridic feature - Aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bw, Bk and part of the Bk2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.