LOCATION UMBERLAND NV

Established Series
Rev. BJS/CEJ/JVC/JBF
05/2016

UMBERLAND SERIES

The Umberland series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in lacustrine deposits derived from mixed rocks. Umberland soils are on lake plains, alluvial flats, and lake terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, calcareous, mesic Aeric Halaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Umberland silty clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 8 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive with 5 to 12 mm surface crust; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many medium roots; many very fine vesicular and few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

C1--8 to 18 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; strong very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many medium and few fine and common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 28 cm thick)

C2--18 to 38 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few coarse, medium, and very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 60 cm thick)

Ck1--38 to 137 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; moderate very fine angular and subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine, and few fine tubular pores; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) and few fine prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) masses of iron accumulation; few fine nodules of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual smooth boundary. (40 to 125 cm thick)

Ck2--137 to 157 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; moderate very fine angular and subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and medium prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) masses of iron accumulation; few fine nodules of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; 5 miles south of the junction of State Route 8A and Nye-Lander County line, about 0.3 mile north of dirt road, and approximately 0.3 mile south of the northeast corner of section 7, T. 14 N., R. 44 E.; USGS East of Millett Ranch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 5 minutes 26 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 4 minutes 6 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.0906667 latitude, -117.0686111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Saturated in some horizon between depths of 46 and 100 cm for at least a month during normal years. Water from the capillary fringe moistens the soil to within 15 cm of the surface; aquic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to carbonates: 38 to 90 cm. They occur as concretions or nodules.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 25 percent.
Other features: These soils are strongly saline-sodic in the upper part of the profile with concentrations usually decreasing with depth.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 46 to 90.

C and Ck horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Silty clay, silty clay loam, or clay.
Structure: Granular, massive, subangular blocky, angular blocky or prismatic.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, very friable to firm, moderately sticky or very sticky and moderately plastic or very plastic.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline, usually decreasing with depth.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 90.
Gypsum content: 1 to 5 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations are present in some subhorizon as few or common masses of iron or manganese accumulation.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Boravall, Longmont and Settlement series.

Boravall soils are calcareous throughout but do not have accumulations of secondary carbonates. Longmont soils are moist in all parts of the moisture control section during the summer and fall and have gypsum crystals in some horizon above 100 cm. Settlement soils have mean annual soil temperature of 12 to 15 degrees C. and have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Umberland soils are on lake plains, alluvial flats, and lake terraces. They formed in lacustrine deposits derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,190 to 1,830 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gund, Parran, Wendane, and Yobe soils. Gund soils are fine-silty over clayey, are nonacid, and have accumulation of secondary silica. Parran soils are fine and have salic horizons. Wendane and Yobe soils are fine-silty.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained; negligible surface runoff; low saturated hydraulic conductivity. These soils are normally nonflooded or have a rare flooding frequency. Some phases have an occasional or frequent flooding frequency. Drained and ponded phases are recognized. A seasonal high water table is present between 46 and 100 cm (Shallow to Deep free water occurrence classes) for some time during the year. Cumulative annual duration class is Persistent (December through June).

USE AND VEGETATION: Umberland soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly inland saltgrass, black greasewood, iodinebush, baltic rush, alkali cordgrass, and basin wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and western Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRAs 24, 27 and 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nye County (Big Smoky Valley Area), Nevada, 1972.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and C1 horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 46 and 100 cm for some time during normal years.
Aeric subgroup feature - Chroma of 3 or 4 in some subhorizon between 15 and 76 cm (C1, C2, and Ck1 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (parts of the C2 and Ck1 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.