LOCATION DENIO                   NV

Established Series
Rev. DLJ-RLB-JVC-JBF
12/2019

DENIO SERIES

The Denio series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in alluvium derived dominantly from granitic rocks. Denio soils are on barrier beaches and spits. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Xeric Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Denio gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 20 percent fine gravel.

A--0 to 8 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

C1--8 to 41 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0)); abrupt smooth boundary. (30 to 43 cm thick)

2C2--41 to 71 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 55 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (25 to 50 cm thick)

2C3--71 to 152 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 70 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, Nevada; approximately 16 miles south of Denio Junction; about 2,000 feet west and 500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 5, T. 44 N., R. 31 E.; USGS Howard Hot Spring 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 43 minutes 23 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 31 minutes 49 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.7230556 latitude, -118.5302778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and early spring, dry from June through November; aridic (torric) moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 11 degrees C.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 3 to 7 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly fine (2 to 5 mm in diameter) gravel. Lithology of fragments are granitic rocks.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, dry.

C1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 5 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent.
Structure: Platy or is massive.

2C2 and 2C3 horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified very gravelly loamy coarse sand to extremely gravelly coarse sand.
Clay content: 0 to 3 percent.
Rock fragments: 40 to 70 percent.
Structure: Single grain or is massive.
Consistence: Slightly hard or loose dry, very friable or loose moist.
Other features: Some pedons have many thin strata of loamy sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alderdale, Burbank, Crunkvar, Doowak, Sheeprock, Skaha, Ulymeyer, and Wrango series.

Alderdale soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Burbank, Doowak, and Wrango soils have Bk horizons within 100 cm of the soil surface. Crunkvar soils have mean annual soil temperature of 12 to 14 degrees C. and are moist 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms. Sheeprock soils are calcareous and have mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 10 degrees C. Skaha soils have less than half of the total rock fragments between 2 and 5 mm in diameter. Ulymeyer soils have mean annual soil temperature of 14 to 15 degrees C. and are dominated by cobbles and stones in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Denio soils are on barrier beaches and spits. These soils formed in alluvium derived dominantly from granitic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Elevations range from 1,300 to 1,400 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, the mean annual temperature is 9 to 10 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 100 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Deadyon and Shawave soils. Deadyon soils are coarse-loamy and Shawave soils are fine-loamy.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained, very low surface runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Denio soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Thurber's needlegrass, and needleandthread.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 7,200 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRAs 23 and 24.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt County (West Part), Nevada, 1994.

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 C1 horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (2C2 horizon and parts of the C1 and 2C3 horizons)

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.