LOCATION HUSSA                   CA+NV

Established Series
Rev. JBF/TM
07/2011

HUSSA SERIES

The Hussa series consists of very deep, very poorly and poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a component of vitric pyroclastic materials. Hussa soils are on flood plains, lake terraces, basin floor remnants and inset fans. Slopes are 0 to 9 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, calcareous, frigid Aquandic Endoaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Hussa ashy clay loam - native meadow. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) ashy clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

A2--5 to 30 cm; black (10YR 2/1) ashy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; strong medium and fine granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); diffuse smooth boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)

A3--30 to 50 cm; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) ashy clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; common fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) lime segregations; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

A4--50 to 58 cm; black (10YR 2/1) ashy clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; weakly effervescent; common fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) lime segregations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

C--58 to 76 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) ashy sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderastely sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common coarse distinct black (10YR 2/1) organic stains and common fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) lime segregations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 50 cm thick)

Ab--76 to 91 cm; black (10YR 2/1) ashy clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; weakly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); diffuse smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

2C--91 to 152 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) ashy silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common fine distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) organic stains, and common fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) lime segregations; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Modoc County, California; approximately 2,000 feet east and 250 feet north of the Southwest corner of section 10, T.42 N., R.16 E; USGS Cedarville 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 30 minutes 56.2 seconds N and longitude 120 degrees 08 minutes 13 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: These soils are saturated at or near the surface for at least one month during most years. Drained phases are recognized.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6.5 to 8.0 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 30 to 60 cm.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 50 percent glass and glass aggregates in the coarse silt to sand fraction.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Carbonates: Few or common fine or medium white lime segregations can occur in any horizon but are not common in horizons above the water table.
Effervescence: Effervescent in the upper 50 to 76 cm. but may be non-effervescent below this depth in some pedons.
Other features: A root mat (Oe horizon), up to 10 cm thick is present in some areas that have not been cultivated.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent. Some pedons have thin horizons with up to 35 percent gravel.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2.
Structure: Weak to strong, fine to thick platy, subangular blocky, granular or it is massive.
Consistence: Slightly hard to very hard, but not both massive and hard when dry.
Other features: One to several buried A horizons occur throughout the profile.

C Horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, and 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3.
Texture: Stratified ashy sandy clay loam to ashy silty clay loam. Some pedons have thin strata of ashy loam, ashy fine sandy loam, and ashy sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent. Some pedons have thin horizons with up to 35 percent gravel.
Structure: Subangular blocky or it is massive.
Clay content: Averages 25 to 35 percent.
Other features: This horizon contains faint to prominent iron, manganese or organic matter stains.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bridgewell and Cummings series.

Bridgewell soils have a significant amount of uncoated pumiceous ash grains in the medium to very coarse sand fraction and have 75 to 100 percent volcanic glass in the control section. Cummings soils have 60 to 122 cm thick mollic epipedons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hussa soils are on flood plains, lake terraces, basin floor remnants and inset fans. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a component of vitric pyroclastic materials. Slopes are 0 to 9 percent. Elevations are 1,360 to 2,140 meters. The climate is cool with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 400 mm which comes mostly as snow. Mean annual temperature is 6.5 to 9 degrees C and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bartine, Bidwell, Buntingville, Fairydell, Four Star and Hovey, Ratto and Siri soils. Barting, Fairydell, Ratto and Siri soils are well-drained. Also, Bartine soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact, Fairydell soils have a Cqk horizon, Ratto soils have an indurated duripan at depths of 30 to 61 centimeters and Siri soils have a calcic horizon and lack a mollic epipedon. Bidwell soils and Buntingville soils have argillic horizons. Four Star soils have 7 to 18 percent clay in their particle-size control sections and do not have a calcareous reaction class. Hovey soils have prominent Bk (calcic) horizons immediately underlying the mollic epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly or very poorly drained; very slow to medium runoff; moderately high saturated conductivity class. Seasonal water table is 15 to 76 cm.

USE AND VEGETATION: Hayland, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Some areas have been plowed and seeded to clover and grass mixtures and oats. The meadow vegetation is in the better drained areas, and coarse sedges in more poorly drained areas. Rabbitbrush, basin wildrye, and big sagebrush are in areas that have been gullied and partially drained.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: California and Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 21, 23 and 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, Diamond Valley Part, 1971.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - This zone from the surface to about 58 cm (A1, A2, A3, and A4 horizons).
Endosaturation - The zone from the surface to 152 cm (A1, A2, A3, A4, C, Ab and 2C horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (A3, A4, C, Ab, and parts of the A2 and 2C horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Previous authors and reviewers initials also include LNL/PWB/GJS.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.