LOCATION ARKSON NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Xeric Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Arkson very stony very fine sandy loam, woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5percent stones, 30 percent gravel, and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A12--3 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
C1--15 to 40 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine, and few medium tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 32 inches thick)
C2--40 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine, and few medium tubular pores; 50 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Carson City, Nevada; about 0.4 mile west and 0.5 mile south of the NE corner of section 17, T.19N., R.15E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 55 to 59 degrees F. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 16 inches thick. The 10 to 40 inch control section is gravelly very fine sandy loam or gravelly loam with less than 18 percent clay and 20 to 35 percent rock fragments.
The A1 horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1, 2 or 3. This horizon has weak medium subangular blocky structure, or thin or medium platy structure, or it is massive. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The C horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 1, 2 or 3. It is loam or very fine sandy loam. The C1 horizon has 15 to 30 percent gravel and 5 to 10 percent cobbles. The C2 horizon has 30 to 55 percent gravel and 5 to 10 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Coski, Dinne (t), Sawcreek, Sula and Teocullis series. Coski and Dinnen soils have in the control section coarse sandy loam texture with a high proportion of angular granitic coarse and very coarse sand. Sawcreek soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments and have a paralithic contact within 40 inches. Sula soils have the upper part of the control section composed of silt loam that has less than 15 percent gravel. Teoculli soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Arkson soils are on mountain slopes at elevations of 7,500 to 9,000 feet. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. The soils formed residuum and colluvium weathered from metavolcanic rocks. The average annual precipitation is about 30 to 40 inches. The average annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost free season is less than 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cagwin and Toem soils. Cagwin soils have sandy control section and have bedrock within depth of 40 inches. Toem soils have sandy control sections and have bedrock within depth of 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for production of timber and for wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally Jeffrey pine, white pine and red fir, with an understory of big sagebrush and snowbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern front of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in western Nevada. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Carson City Area, Nevada, 1975.