LOCATION THREELAKES              NV

Established Series
Rev. LJL/TM/RLB
12/2015

THREELAKES SERIES

The Threelakes series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium mainly from limestone. Threelakes soils are on fan aprons. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 6 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 60 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, thermic Typic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Threelakes extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, rangeland and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 80 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 70 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)

C1--3 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; common distinct unoriented calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; 65 percent pebbles and 2 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)

C2--9 to 31 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; common distinct unoriented calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; 65 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; 5 percent thin discontinuous lenses of extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand; violently effervescent (45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 23 inches thick)

Cn--31 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stratified extremely gravelly fine sandy loam to extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common and many very fine and few fine and medium interstitial pores; common distinct unoriented calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; 65 percent pebbles and 3 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; approximately 1 1/2 miles northwest of Cold Creek turn off from Highway 95 on the southwest side of the power line road in the south end of Three Lakes Valley; about 2,190 feet south and 2,250 feet east of the northeast corner of section 29, T. 16 S., R. 57 E.; 36 degrees, 31 minutes, 54 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 34 minutes, 17 seconds west longitude; UTM 11, 627892e, 4043869n:NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July to October following summer convection storms. Has a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature - 59 to 65 degrees F.
Control section - Percent clay: 6 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 75 percent, mainly gravel, with 0 to 10 percent cobbles and stones.

A horizon -
Value: 6 or 7 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry and moist.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 25 to 50 percent.
C horizons - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Texture: Fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 30 to 50 percent.
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 1 to 12.
Other features: Some pedons have thin strata of extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand.

Cn horizon -
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified fine sandy loam to loamy coarse sand; averages sandy loam or fine sandy loam when mixed.
Clay content: Averages 6 to 15 percent, ranges from 4 to 15 percent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 30 to 50 percent.
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 13 to 45.
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 dS/m.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dalian (NM) and Isom (UT) series. Dalian soils have slightly alkaline and moderately alkaline reaction classes and receive significant precipitation from rainstorms during summer months. Isom soils have gypsum in the profile and dominant hues of 5YR and 7.5YR.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Threelakes soils are on fan aprons. These soils formed in mixed alluvium mainly from limestone. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. Elevations are 2,800 to 4,800 feet. The climate is hot and arid with warm, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 4 to 7 inches; mean annual air temperature is 57 to 64 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 180 to 300 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Commski and Weiser series. Commski and Weiser soils have calcic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly shadscale, white bursage and creosotebush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada; MLRA 30. These soils are moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County Area, Nevada, 2006. Proposed in Clark County, Nevada, 1995. The name is coined from Three Lakes Valley which extends to the north.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon 0 to 7 inches (A and part of the C1 horizon).
Particle-size control section - 10 to 40 inches (C2 and part of Cn horizons).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2011. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.