LOCATION BESHERM                 NV

Established Series
Rev. HJB/RLB/WED
04/2015

BESHERM SERIES

The Besherm series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. The Besherm soils are on old lake plains. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 62 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, carbonatic, thermic Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Besherm clay loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; strong coarse platy structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many fine vesicular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

Bwy1--2 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine tubular pores; common white flecks of gypsum and lime; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

Bwy2--7 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few white flecks of lime and gypsum; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bk1--11 to 21 inches; white (10YR 8/1) clay, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many large lime masses; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8) abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)

Bk2--21 to 36 inches; white (5Y 8/2) clay, gray (5Y 6/1) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many coarse lime masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)

Bk3--36 to 60 inches; white (5Y 8/1) clay, gray (5Y 6/1) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many soft lime masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; approximately 4800 feet south and 1000 feet east of the junction of Meir street and State Route 52 and about 1850 feet west and 2800 feet south of the projected northeast corner of section 36 T. 20 S., R. 52 E.; 36 degrees, 10 minutes, 5 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 3 minutes, 52 seconds, west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry. The upper part of the moisture control section is moist for a very short time 10 to 20 days during the month of July through October following summer convection storms.

Soil temperature - 59 to 65 degrees F.

Depth to calcic horizon - 10 to 20 inches.

Cracking: Cracks 1 to 2 centimeters wide and 6 to 12 inches apart extend to 11 inches in many pedons.

Calcium carbonate equivalent - 40 to 60 percent mainly disseminated lime.


Control section - Clay content: 35 to 60 percent.


A horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.

Chroma: 2 or 3.

Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.


Bwy horizons - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.

Chroma: 3 or 4 moist or dry.

Structure: Weak through strong prismatic.

Reaction: Strongly alkaline to very strongly alkaline.

Texture: Clay, silty clay and clay loam.

Bk horizons - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y.

Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist.

Chroma: 1 or 2 dry, 1 through 3 moist.

Texture: Clay loam, silty clay or clay.

Clay content: 35 to 50 percent weighted average.

Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.

Consistence: Hard or very hard dry, firm or very firm moist.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The similar Rumpah series has cracks extending to 36 inches or deeper, lack a calcic horizon and are classified as Torrerts.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Besherm soils are on old lake plains. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations are 2400 to 2700 feet. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and cool winters. The mean annual precipitation is between 3 to 5 inches with relatively even monthly distribution with slight peaks in January and August. Mean annual temperature is between 60 and 64 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 200 to 220 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nopah, and Rumpah soils. Nopah soils are fine-silty in the particle-size control section. Rumpah soils are not carbonatic.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Construction sites, rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly shadscale, spinescale saltbush and forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nye County, Nevada, Southwest Part, 1985. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Calcic horizon - The zone from about 21 to 60 inches (Bk horizons).

Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/1997. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.