LOCATION AGUACHIQUITA            NV

Established Series
REV: LJL/TM/ET
04/2015

AGUACHIQUITA SERIES

The Aguachiquita series consists of moderately deep to hardpan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from granite over fanglomerate. Aguachiquita soils are on rock pediments. Slope ranges from 8 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 6 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 60 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Cambidic Haplodurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Aguachiquita gravelly sandy loam--wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 75 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bw--3 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine through coarse roots; few very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; 35 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)

Bkq--10 to 20 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; 50 percent pebbles, 1 percent cobbles and 0.1 percent stones; common fine (1 to 2 millimeter) calcium carbonate and silica coats on bottoms of rock fragments; noneffervescent to strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)

Bkqm1--20 to 31 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) extremely weakly cemented duripan, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, friable, brittle; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles, 3 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; common fine (1 to 2 millimeter) calcium carbonate and silica coats on bottoms of rock fragments; noneffervescent to strongly effervescent; clear wavy boundary.

Bkqm2--31 to 43 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) very weakly cemented duripan, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, brittle; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles, 3 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; common fine (1 to 2 millimeter) calcium carbonate and silica coats on bottoms of rock fragments; noneffervescent to strongly effervescent; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bkqm horizons is 15 to 35 inches thick)

Cr--43 inches; moderately weathered fanglomerate bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; about 38 miles south and 12 miles west of Mesquite, Nevada; approximately 4 miles west and 1.8 miles south of Gold Butte, NV; 300 feet north and 1100 feet west of the southeast corner of section 22, T. 19 S., R. 69 E.; 36 degrees, 15 minutes, 39.88 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees, 15 minutes, 56.64 seconds west longitude; USGS Lime Wash, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S, 0745646e 4016375n; 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 and October following convection storms. The soils have a typic-aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 59 to 65 degrees F.

Depth to duripan: 20 to 30 inches.

Depth to paralithic contact: 40 to 60 inches.

Secondary calcium carbonate: Less than 5 percent by volume.

Control section - Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, dominantly fine gravel.
Clay content: 7 to 15 percent.

A horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Consistence: Slightly hard to moderately hard.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel, dominantly fine gravel.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent of the fine earth: 1 to 5 percent.


Bw horizon - Texture: Coarse sandy loam or sandy loam.
Structure: Medium or coarse subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard or moderately hard.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent gravel, dominantly fine gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent of the fine earth: 1 to 5 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.

Bkq horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Texture: Coarse sandy loam or sandy loam.
Structure: Medium or coarse subangular blocky or massive.
Consistence: Slightly hard or moderately hard, dry; very friable or friable, moist.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel, dominantly fine gravel with 0 to 5 percent cobbles and stones.
Calcium carbonate equivalent of the fine earth: 1 to 5 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Other features: Pockets and pipes of disseminated calcium carbonate which range from slightly effervescent to violently effervescent.

Bkqm horizons - Cementation: Extremely weakly through moderately cemented.
Consistence: Moderately hard through extremely hard, friable through very firm.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel, dominantly fine gravel with 0 to 10 percent cobbles and stones.
Other features: Pockets and pipes of disseminated lime which range from slightly effervescent to violently effervescent.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Aguachiquita soils are on rock pediments. Slope ranges from 8 to 30 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from granite over fanglomerate. Elevations are 2,000 to 3,300 feet. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, occasionally moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 5 to 7 inches; mean annual air temperature is 57 to 63 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 180 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Hiller and Huevi soils. Hiller soils are very deep and have calcic horizons. Huevi soils have hyperthermic soil temperature regimes, have calcic horizons and are very deep.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly creosotebush, cheesebush and Andersons wolfberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County Area, Nevada, 2006. Proposed in Clark County, Nevada, Clark County Soil Survey Area, 2002. The name is coined from Agua Chiquita Spring located 2.5 miles west and 1 mile south.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches (A and part of the Bw horizon).
Duripan - 20 to 43 inches (Bkqm1 and Bkqm2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - 43 inches (Contact with the Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - 10 to 20 inches (Bkq horizon).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 7/2006. ET

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.