LOCATION BETRA                   NV

Established Series
Rev. DWW/PWB/RLB
11/2016

BETRA SERIES

The Betra series consists of moderately deep over duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mainly granitic rocks and quartzite with a component of loess. The Betra soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 330 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Paleargidic Durixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Betra cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones.

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

AB--13 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; neutral (pH 7.2) abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

2Bt1--23 to 36 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine exped roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones, many pressure faces and many distinct clay films lining pores; common medium dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic stains on ped faces; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 38 cm thick)

2Bt2--36 to 53 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong fine angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine exped roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; many pressure faces and many distinct clay films lining pores; common medium dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic stains on ped faces; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

2Bqm--53 to 107 cm; strongly cemented duripan with thin discontinuous silica laminae on the upper boundary and on rock fragments.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 4 miles northeast of Lee, about 2,100 feet east and 2,200 feet south of the northwest corner of section 33 T. 32 N., R. 57 E.; USGS Lee 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 36 minutes 52 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.6144444 latitude, -115.5600000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist during winter and spring and dry late June through October; aridic bordering on xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm
Soil thickness and depth to duripan: 50 to 76 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 40 to 60 percent.
Rock fragment: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Thin platy, fine granular, or fine to medium subangular blocky.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, dry.

AB horizon (when present)
Value: 2 or 3, moist.
Gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 40 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
Structure: Angular or subangular blocky.
Other features: May be absent in some pedons.

Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Very gravelly clay or very cobbly clay.
Clay content: 50 to 60 percent.
Consistence: Very hard or extremely hard dry, very firm or extremely firm moist.
Ped surface features: Clay films or pressure faces.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles.
Structure: Fine or medium angular blocky or prismatic.

Bqm horizon
Cementation: Continuous strongly silica-cemented duripan with thin discontinuous silica laminae on the upper boundary and on rock fragments.
Rock fragments: Average over 70 percent, mainly cobbles and stones.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Betra soils are on fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mainly granitic rocks and quartzite and in some areas alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a component of loess. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,830 to 2,380 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 360 mm, mean annual temperature is 5 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar Donna and the Heechee and McIvey soils. Heechee and McIvey soils are very deep and lack a duripan.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, high or very high runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, serviceberry, bottlebrush squirreltail and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Elko County Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 25.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, Central Part, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A1, A2, AB horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 23 to 53 cm (2Bt1, 2Bt2 horizons).
Strongly cemented duripan - The zone from 53 to 107 cm (2Bqm horizon).
Depth to abrupt textural change - The boundary at 23 cm.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 23 to 53 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.