LOCATION BASINPEAK               NV

Established Series
Rev. EWB/IJR/WED/JBF
02/2012

BASINPEAK SERIES

The Basinpeak series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from quartzite and minor amounts of granite. Basinpeak soils are on mountains. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 500 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Xeric Haplocryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Basinpeak very gravelly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 30 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones.

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores, 35 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 18 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

A3--18 to 28 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

C1--28 to 58 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure, hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 60 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 38 cm thick)

C2--58 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine through coarse roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6).

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; about 0.3 mile south of Mill Creek in the Snake Range located in Great Basin National Park; USGS Windy Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 2 minutes 1.8 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 15 minutes 26 seconds W; UTM zone 11, 0737408e, 4324111n, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Much of the moisture that falls on the site is in the form of snow and is removed from these convex slopes by the wind; moist in spring, winter and early summer, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 4 to 7 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 40 cm.
Depth to extremely gravelly layers: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 150 to 200 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 65 to 85 percent dominantly gravel.

A horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

C horizons and Bk horizon (when present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Dominantly loam, subhorizons of sandy loam or coarse sandy loam are in the lower part in some pedons.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 65 to 85 percent, dominantly gravel.
Reaction: Slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons with Bk horizons have few fine distinct secondary calcium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Berrycreek, Decram, Fairydell, Foxmount, Gaia, Klug, Krackle, Lag, Middlehill, Rockabin, Steepshrub, Sup, Timmercrek, and Wareagle series.

Berrycreek soils have 45 to 65 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and have Bw horizons. Decram, Foxmount, Krackle, Middlehill, and Rockabin soils have bedrock within 50 to 100 cm. Fairydell soils have calcic horizons. Gaia soils have 8 to 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section and formed in till. Klug soils have Bw horizons and are slightly alkaline throughout. Lag soils have O horizons, Bw horizons, and soil temperatures of 2.2 to 4.4 degrees C.
Steepshrub soils have 8 to 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have O and Bw horizons. Sup soils have 5 to 15 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Timmercrek soils have 12 to 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section, have O, Bw and Bt horizons, and formed in till. Wareagle soils have mean annual soil temperatures of 1.7 to 3.3 degrees C, mean summer soil temperatures of 7.2 to 9 degrees C, and have Bw horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Basinpeak soils are on mountains. They typically occur on convex backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from quartzite and minor amounts of granite. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. Elevations are 2,160 to 3,170 meters. The climate is moist-subhumid with cold, wet winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 450 to 700 mm, mean annual temperature is 3 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 40 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hapgood and Jonlake series. Hapgood soils have a mollic epipedon more than 40 cm thick. Jonlake soils have bedrock within 50 cm.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Recreation, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and singleleaf pinyon. This site is correlated to Ecological Site R28AY061NV, Claypan 14+" P.Z.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. MLRA 28A. These soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part. 2004. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 28 cm (A1, A2 and A3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (lower A3, C1 and upper C2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.