LOCATION BLACKA                  NV

Established Series
Rev: BJS/GJS/JBF
02/2016

BLACKA SERIES

The Blacka series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in loess over alluvium from mixed rock sources. The Blacka soils are on fan piedmont remnants. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 180 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cambidic Haplodurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Blacka very fine sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are the dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 10 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many vesicular, and common very fine tubular pores; very slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

A2--10 to 20 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic parting to weak thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial, and few fine tubular pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

Bw--20 to 53 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse and very coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 33 cm thick)

Bqkm1--53 to 58 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) strongly silica-cemented duripan, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and thick continuous platy structure; very hard, very firm, brittle; many very fine and few fine and medium roots between plates; common very fine tubular pores; up to 2 mm thick very pale brown (10YR 8/2) and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist silica laminae on top of plates; slightly effervescent; thick coatings of secondary carbonates on plates; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

Bqkm2--58 to 79 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) strongly silica-cemented duripan, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few fine faint mottles, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4); weak thick platy structure; very hard, very firm, brittle; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent, 10 to 20 mm, weak durinodes embedded in horizon; strongly effervescent; many medium filaments, seams and coatings of secondary carbonates on plates; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 40 cm thick)

Cqk1--79 to 102 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; continuous weakly or strongly silica-cemented plate like layers; very hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores;; strongly effervescent; common fine and medium filaments and seams of secondary carbonates; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 36 cm thick)

Cqk2--102 to 122 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and very pale brown (10YR 8/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; many fine distinct relict iron mottles dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) and dark reddish brown(5YR 2/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent, 10 to 20 mm, weak and moderately strong durinodes; strongly effervescent; common fine filaments and seams of secondary carbonates; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

Cky--122 to 163 cm; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; many fine and large filaments and seams of secondary carbonates and gypsum; few fine iron-manganese shot; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; approximately 13 miles north of Battle Mountain; about 180 feet north and 2,700 feet west of the approximate southwest corner of section 19, T. 34 N., R. 45 E.; USGS Russells 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 48 minutes 03 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 57 minutes 2 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.8008333 latitude, -116.9505556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods from October to May; aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to strongly cemented duripan: 50 to 66 cm.
Depth to base of Bw horizon: 30 to 53 cm.
Salt and sodium: Most pedons are not affected by salt and sodium above the duripan and strongly salt and sodium affected below, but some are strongly salt and sodium affected throughout their profiles.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons have continuous or discontinuous weakly cemented Bq horizons above the duripan.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Texture: Averages fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam with 15 to 35 percent fine sand or coarser sands.

A horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Other features: Some pedons are slightly effervescent on the immediate surface due to recharge from calcareous dust.

Bw horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam with thin strata of sandy loam or loam in some pedons.

Bqkm horizon
Consistence: Hard or very hard dry.
Effervescence: Slight to violent.

Cqk horizons
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: Dominantly sandy loam with strata of fine sandy loam or loam in some pedons.
Cementation: Up to 40 percent durinodes.
Other features: Relict iron mottles are present in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Noyson series. Noyson soils lack cambic horizons and have sandy loam textures above the duripan.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Blacka soils are on fan piedmont remnants and fan skirt remnants. These soils formed in loess over alluvium from mixed rock sources dominated by volcanic rocks, tuff, and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations are 1,220 to 1,525 meters. The climate is cool, semi-arid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 150 to 200 mm; mean annual temperature is 9 to 10 degrees C., and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beoska, Broyles, Creemon, Jenor, Orovada and Wholan soils. Beoska soils lack strong silica-cemented duripans and have natric horizons. Broyles, Creemon and Orovada soils lack continuous silica-cemented duripans. Jenor soils have indurated duripans. Wholan soil lack horizons expressing silica movement.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow or medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability; high saturated hydraulic conductivity to the duripan.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland, irrigated cropland, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly shadscale, bud sagebrush, globemallow, kochia, and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, North Part, Nevada, 1974. REMARKS: Blacka soils were classified as calcisols.

Diagnostic horizons or features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 18 cm (The A1 and part of the A2 horixons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 20 to 53 cm (Bw horizon).
Strongly cemented duripans - The zone from 53 to 79 cm (Bqkm1 and Bqkm2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to about 53 cm a portion of the Bw horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.