LOCATION GANDO                   NV

Established Series
Rev. DWW-RAF-RLB-JBF
05/2016

GANDO SERIES

The Gando series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from chert, argillite, shale, quartzite, rhyolite or tuffaceous sandstone. Gando soils are on mountain crests and side slopes. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 400 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Gando very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered with approximately 70 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

A2--5 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Bk--20 to 33 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; thin carbonate coats and pendants on undersides of gravel; 65 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)

R--33 cm; highly fractured argillitic bedrock; thick carbonate pendants along fracture planes.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 40 miles north of Elko; approximately 1,600 feet south and 1,700 feet west of the northeast corner of section 27, T. 40 N., R. 53 E.; USGS Mahala Creek West 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 19 minutes 50 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 59 minutes 32 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.3313889 latitude, -115.9916667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter through early summer, dry early July through mid October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 18 to 36 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to carbonates: 18 to 36 cm.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline, normally increasing with depth.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, mainly gravel.

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

Bk horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure: Subangular blocky, granular or is massive.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry, slightly sticky to sticky and slightly plastic to plastic.
Texture: Extremely gravelly loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly loam.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, mainly gravel with up to 20 percent cobbles.
Carbonates: Slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Alomax series. Alomax soils lack horizons with secondary carbonates

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gando soils are on mountain crest and side slopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from chert, shale, quartzite, rhyolite, argillite, or tuffaceous sandstone. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,895 to 2,595 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with moist winters and dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 360 to 460 mm; mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bullump, Hackwood, Hapgood, Inpendence, Sumine and Tusel soils. Bullump soils have an argillic horizon, bedrock at 100 to 150 cm, and a mollic epipedon that is 50 to 75 cm thick. Hackwood soils are fine-loamy, are very deep to bedrock, and have a mollic epipedon that is 75 to 90 cm thick. Hapgood soils are deep and have a mollic epipedon that is 50 to 90 cm thick. Inpendence soils are very deep and have an umbric epipedon that is 43 to 90 cm thick. Sumine soils are moderately deep to bedrock, have an argillic horizon, and have a mollic epipedon that is 25 to 38 cm thick. Tusel soils are deep, have an argillic horizon, and a mollic epipedon that is 41 to 50 cm thick.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, black sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, Idaho fescue, low rabbitbrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. MLRA 25,24,28B. Gando soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to about 20 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Lithic contact - The boundary at 33 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the surface to about 33 cm (A1, A2 and Bk horizons).

The update of 07/2011 updated the classification from Lithic Haploxerolls to Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.