LOCATION ALDAX                   NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. LNL/GMK/JVC/JBF
02/2017

ALDAX SERIES

The Aldax series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from andesite or basalt. Aldax soils are on hills. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 330 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Aldax very stony fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--8 to 36 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely stony fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent stones, 20 percent cobbles, and 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt irregular boundary. (20 to 50 cm thick)

R--36 to 91 cm; extremely hard undecomposed andesite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; approximately 1,000 feet east and 1,000 feet south of the northwest corner of section 10, T. 11 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Carters Station 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 50 minutes 6 seconds N. and longitude 119 degrees 43 minutes 44 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.8350000 latitude, -119.7287667 longitude..

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to bedrock: 25 to 50 cm to a lithic contact.
Reaction: Moderately acid through neutral.
Base saturation: Over 75 percent in all parts.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Less than 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Angular and range from 40 to 80 percent by volume. Consists of up to 40 percent stones or cobbles and up to 50 percent gravel. Lithology is volcanic rock such as andesite and basalt.

A1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3.

A2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Fine sandy loam or loam, subhorizons of some pedons are sandy loam
Structure: Weak or moderate, very fine or medium granular or subangular blocky structure.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Borid, Bakeoven, Couleedam, Cox, Hendap, and Lickskillet series.
Borid soils have 50 to 75 percent base saturation from the surface to 38 cm. Bakeoven and Lickskillet soils average more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Cox soils have a base saturation of less than 75 percent in some part. Couleedam soils have a cambic horizon and have mean annual soil temperature of 11 to 12 degrees C. Hendap soils have C horizons that are not mollic.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Aldax soils are on hills. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from andesite and basalt. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,524 to 2,440 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 400 mm. The mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C. The frost-free period is 60 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Borda and Millich soils. Borda soils have ochric epipedons and fine textured argillic horizons. Millich soils have fine textured argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained and high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Aldax soils are used for rangeland. The vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and rabbitbrush with scattered singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are not extensive with about 5,900 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 26, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 21.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Nevada, 1973.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 36 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 36 cm to underlying unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the soil surface to 36 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).

Classification was updated to 11th edition on 07/2011 changed Lithic Haploxerolls to Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.