LOCATION GRANZAN NV
Established Series
Rev: RGB/RAF/GJS/JBF
01/2019
GRANZAN SERIES
The Granzan series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone and calcareous shale. Granzan soils are on mountain side slopes. Slopes are 30 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, carbonatic, frigid Typic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Granzan very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)
A2--5 to 18 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)
A3--18 to 36 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 23 cm thick)
Bk1--36 to 64 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; few fine carbonate filaments and coatings on underside of gravel; 45 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 28 cm thick)
Bk2--64 to 89 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; common fine carbonate filaments and coatings on underside of gravel; 50 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 43 cm thick)
Bk3--89 to 122 cm thick; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; thin carbonate coats on underside of rock fragments; 11 percent cobbles and 45 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (18 to 46 cm thick)
R--122 cm; calcareous shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; approximately 19 miles south of Crescent Valley; about 500 feet west and 500 feet south of the approximate northeast corner of section 5, T. 26 N., R. 48 E.; USGS Cortez 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 9 minutes 27 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 34 minutes 50 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.1580556 latitude, -116.582222 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist; dry mid July to September; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 28 to 48 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 100 to 150 cm.
Carbonates: The calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 40 to 50 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, when mixed, dominantly gravel with up to 15 percent cobbles.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Weak to moderate, fine to medium, granular or subangular blocky.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through violently effervescent.
Bk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Very gravelly loam or very gravelly silt loam, with extremely gravelly loam common in the lower subhorizon of some pedons.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Canyonfork,
Cavehill,
Cedarcabin,
Fontreen,
Highup,
Lizdale,
Lizzant,
Lonjon,
Ridgecrest, and
Sylvaniam series.
Canyonfork,
Fontreen,
Lizdale and
Lizzant soils are deeper than 150 cm.
Cedarcabin,
Cavehill,
Highup,
Lonjon,
Ridgecrest and
Sylvaniam soils are 50 to 100 cm deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Granzan soils are on mountain side slopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone and calcareous shale. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,985 to 2,780 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 360 to 460 mm; mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and frost-free season is 70 to l00 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Highams,
Labshaft, and
Pie Creek soils. Highams soils are shallow to bedrock and lack a mollic epipedon. Labshaft soils are shallow to bedrock and lack carbonate throughout their profile. Pie Creek soils have 60 to 70 percent clay in the argillic horizon, and are less than 100 cm deep to bedrock.
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 mountain big sagebrush, basin wildrye, bluebunch wheatgrass and mountain brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern and north-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 25 and 28B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County Area, Nevada, l983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to about 36 cm (A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 36 to 122 cm (Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at about 122 cm (R boundary).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons and parts of the A3 and Bk3 horizon).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.