LOCATION BASELINE NV
Established Series
DJM/JVC
04/2015
BASELINE SERIES
The Baseline series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in gravelly pedisediment derived dominantly from limestone. Baseline soils are on pediments. Slope ranges from 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 72 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, hyperthermic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Baseline extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, rangeland and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 80 percent pebbles.
A--0 to 3 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate very thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many very fine interstitial and common fine vesicular pores; 70 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly fine sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; common (15 percent) fine calcium carbonate coats on faces of peds and as coats on bottoms and sides of rock fragments;15 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bk2--9 to 22 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) extremely gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; common (45 percent) fine calcium carbonate masses and calcium carbonate coats and pendants on bottoms and sides of rock fragments; 65 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (14 to 30 inches thick)
2Cr--22 inches; soft weathered calcareous siltstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area about 3.5 miles north of Coyote Cove in Pinto Valley; in an estimated projection of a nonsectionized area of section 23, T.20 S., R. 66 E.; USGS Boulder Canyon, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees 12 minutes 4 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees 35 minutes 11.9 seconds west longitude; UTM 11s, 716977e, 4008954n; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for brief periods between July and October following convection storms. The soils have a typic-aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 72 to 76 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon - 2 to 4 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact. Paralithic material is soft, weathered sedimentary rocks such as claystone, siltstone, gypsiferous siltstone, gypsum rock, conglomerate, and sandstone.
Control section - Clay content: 8 to 15 percent;
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction - Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
A horizon - Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Bk1 horizon - Hue: 2.5YR through 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6 moist or dry.
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 15 to 45 percent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 15 to 25 percent occurring as few coats on faces of peds and as coats on the bottoms and sides of rock fragments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 25 to 35; 40 to 60 percent in the less than 20 millimeter fraction.
Bk2 horizon - Hue: 2.5YR through 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly loam, or very gravelly fine sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 25 to 50 percent occurring as masses and as coats and pendants on the bottoms and sides of rock fragments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 30 to 45 percent; 40 to 60 percent in the less than 20 millimeter fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Baseline soils are on pediments. These soils formed in alluvium (pedisediment) derived from limestone. Slope ranges from 2 to 15 percent. Elevations are 1,400 to 2,800 feet. The climate is arid with warm, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 3 to 5 inches, mean annual temperature is 69 to 73 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 300 to 350 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the
Callville soil. Callville soils are loamy, shallow to paralithic contacts, and have gypsic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; moderate or moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly creosotebush, desert holly, and white bursage.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada; MLRA 30. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County Area, Nevada, 2006. Proposed in Clark County, Nevada, 2000. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 3 inches (A horizon).
Calcic horizon - 3 to 22 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - 22 inches (2Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - 10 to 22 inches (part of the Bk2 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.