LOCATION ARCLAY                  NV

Established Series
Rev. TEB-MJZ-RLB-JBF
05/2016

ARCLAY SERIES

The Arclay series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granite. The Arclay soils are on sideslopes and crests of mountains and foothills. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Aridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Arclay very gravelly coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 18 percent cobbles and stones, and 30 percent with gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; weak fine platy structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many fine and few medium vesicular pores; 30 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--13 to 28 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; many thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 28 cm thick)

Bt2--28 to 41 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; many thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 23 cm thick)

Cr--41 to 107 cm; soft granite with very few very fine roots; gradual wavy boundary.

R--107 cm; hard granite.

TYPE LOCATION: Pershing County, Nevada; approximately 12 miles northwest of Lovelock in the Trinity Range near Trinity Canyon; about 2,000 feet south and 2,800 feet east of the northwest corner, Sec. 33, T. 29 N., R. 31 E.; latitude 40 degrees 20 minutes 9 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 30 minutes 8 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.3359444 latitude, 118.502778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry from June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm, typically includes the upper Bt subhorizon.
Depth to paralithic contact: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to lithic contact: 100 to 150 cm.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent, mainly fine gravel.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, averages less than 5.5 dry after mixing the upper 18 cm.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

Bt horizon
Value: 4 through 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Dominantly gravelly clay loam with gravelly sandy clay loam, gravelly loam common in subhorizons above the paralithic contact.
Structure: Subangular blocky or horizon is massive.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry and friable or firm moist.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crawley, Luppino, Nomisurvay, Siscab and Wedekind series.

Crawley Nomisuray and Siscab soils are less than 36 cm to a paralithic contact. Luppino 50 to 76 cm deep to hard bedrock. Wedekind soils have an argillic horizon with 20 to 27 percent clay and lack abrupt A/B boundaries.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Arclay soils are on sideslopes and crests of mountains and foothills. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granite. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,220 to 2,100 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm; mean annual temperature is 7 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 100 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Slocave, Soar and Vium series. These soils have an ochric epipedon and particle-size control sections with more than 35 percent rock fragments.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, medium to very rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwest Nevada. MLRA 27, 23. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County, Nevada, West Part, 1988.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 28 cm (A1, A2 and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from about 13 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 41 cm (Cr layer).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 107 cm (R layer).
Aridic feature - Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.