LOCATION ASH SPRINGS             NV

Established Series
Rev. LNL/LCL/JBF
04/2015

ASH SPRINGS SERIES

The Ash Springs series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous and sedimentary rocks and the alluvium has been modified by lime precipitated from upward moving thermal springs waters. Ash springs soils are on smooth flood plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Ash Springs silt loam. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 33 cm; light gray (10YR 7/1) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine and very fine tubular and interstitial pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)

Bk1--33 to 61 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) micaceous fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 46 cm thick)

Bk2--61 to 94 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 46 cm thick)

C--94 to 109 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; about 7 miles south of Alamo, 1/8 mile south of the Buckhorn ranch bunkhouse, near silo pit, about 2,150 feet west and 225 feet north of the southeast corner of section 11, T.8S., R.61E., Mount Diablo base line and meridian; latitude 37 degrees 15 minutes 40 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 6 minutes 34 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Saturated with water in some subhorizons between 50 and 100 cm during most years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 15 degrees C.
Reaction: Very strongly alkaline through moderately alkaline.
Salinity: Saline and nonsaline phases are recognized.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 5 to 15 percent clay.
Sand content: More than 15 percent fine or coarser sand.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 to 1.5.
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent.

Bk1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Silt loam, strata of fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 40 percent.

Bk2 horizon
Chroma: 1 or 2.
Other features: Consistence: It is slightly hard or hard, marly material. It commonly contains extremely hard lime cemented as much as 50 percent by volume of lime cemented nodules.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 40 percent.

C horizon
Contains at least 5 percent less calcium carbonate than either the Bk horizons.
Redoximorphic features: Some pedons have 5YR, 7.5YR, 2.5Y, and 5Y hue below depths of 90 cm. The redder hues are normally accompanied by chroma of 4 or more, and the yellow hues are accompanied by chroma of 2 through 4.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crib, Decker, Lind, Wodskow and Yonic series.

Crib soils have layers that have greater than 35 percent rock fragments. Decker, Lind, Wodskow and Yonic soils have soil temperatures less than 12 degrees C.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ash Springs soils are on flood plains at elevations of 1,160 to 1,220 meters and have slope gradients of 0 to 2 percent. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous and sedimentary rocks and the alluvium has been modified by lime precipitated from upward moving thermal spring waters. The mean annual precipitation is 125 to 175 cm. The mean annual temperature is 12 to 14 degrees C. The frost free season is about 170 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Pahranagat soil. Pahranagat soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The soils has seasonally high water table; the water table is highest in winter and spring and lowest in the fall. Depth to the water table ranges from 90 to 137 cm in the better drained areas and from 46 to 90 cm in the wettest areas. Runoff is very slow; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Uncultivated areas are in meadows, composed mainly of sedges, juncus and saltgrass. Cultivated fields are irrigated. Alfalfa, small grains, corn, and pastures are the principal uses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Nevada. The soils are inextensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Nevada, Pahanagat Valley Soil Conservation District, 1940. The name is taken from large springs in the area.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly classified as calcium carbonate Solonchaks. Properties for classifying the soil in an Aquic subgroup are marginal despite flucuating high water table. It is assumed that these soils have dominant chroma of 2 or less and redox concentrations above 100 cm or that exchangeable sodium decreases below 50 cm, or both.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 33 cm (A horizon).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 33 to 94 cm (Bk1 and Bk2 horizon)
Particle size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (part of the A, Bk1, Bk2 and the upper part of the C horizon)

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 4/2012. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.