LOCATION FAIRYDELL NV
Established Series
Rev. WMA/RMW/ELS/JBF
11/2016
FAIRYDELL SERIES
The Fairydell series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from limestone and conglomerate. Fairydell soils are on alluvial fans and fan piedmonts. Slopes are 15 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 350 mm and the mean annual soil temperature is about 7 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Xeric Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fairydell gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 15 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and fine, and many very fine roots; many fine and very fine vesicular pores; 30 percent gravel; noneffervescent except for limestone gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)
Bw--15 to 30 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loam brown (10YR 4/3) moist; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) organic stains; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common medium and fine, and many very fine roots; common fine, and many very fine tubular pores; 25 percent cobbles and gravel; slightly effervescence except near and beneath limestone gravel and cobble where it is strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 40 cm thick)
Bqk--30 to 58 cm; variegated brown (10YR 5/3) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine, and common very fine roots; common fine and many very fine tubular pores; 25 percent cobbles and gravel; silica and carbonate coats on gravel and cobble, thin on top and moderately thick on the bottom; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 40 cm thick)
Cqk--58 to 127 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine, and common very fine tubular pores; 55 percent cobbles and gravel; silica and carbonate coats on gravel and cobbles, thin on top and thick on undersides; many fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate masses, violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; 950 feet south and 2,700 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 2, T.19N., R.54E.; USGS Diamond Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 32 minutes 47 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 51 minutes 36 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.5463889 latitude, -115.8600000 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in the winter and spring and continuously dry in all parts for significant periods in summer and fall; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
mean summer soil temperature: 13 to 15 degrees C.
Depth to the base of the cambic: 15 to 60 cm.
Particle-size control section Clay content: 20 to 25 percent
Rock fragments; 40 to 65 percent.
A1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Granular or blocky structure.
Reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline.
Bw and Bqk horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4, moist
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Gravelly loam or very gravelly loam.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.
Cqk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry and 4 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Very gravelly loam or very cobbly loam.
Consistence: Hard or very hard, dry.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 5 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Basinpeak,
Berrycreek,
Decram,
Foxmount,
Gaia,
Klug,
Krackle,
Lag,
Middlehill,
Rockabin,
Steepshrub,
Sup, Timmercreek and
Wareagle series.
Basinpeak,
Berrycreek,
Decram,
Foxmount,
Gaia,
Klug,
Krackle,
Lag,
Middlehill,
Rockabin,
Steepshrub,
Sup,
Timmercrek and
Wareagle soils lack a Cqk horizon that is violently effervescent.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fairydell soils are on alluvial fans and pediments at elevations of 1,990 to 2,440 meters. Slope are 15 to 30 percent. They formed in alluvium derived from limestone and conglomerates. The climate is cool, semiarid. Mean annual precipitation is 300 to 400 mm and it comes mostly as snow. The mean annual temperature is 7 degrees to 8 degrees C. The frost-free season is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Bartine,
Cyan and
Passar soils. Bartine soils have carbonatic mineralogy and have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Cyan and Passer soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, basin wildrye, Sandberg bluegrass, low sagebrush, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. The series is inextensive, with approximately 9,000 acres mapped. MLRA 28B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County (Diamond Valley Area), Nevada, 1971.
REMARKS: Fairydell soils were formerly classified as Brown soils.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm, mixed (A1 and part of the Bw horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the 25 to 100 cm (Bqk and part of the A and Cqk horizons).
The concept for the cryic temperature for this series should be checked during the update of the MLRA.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.