LOCATION BLITZEN                 NV

Established Series
Rev. RWD-TSB-RLB-JBF
09/2018

BLITZEN SERIES

The Blitzen series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from mixed rocks. Blitzen soils are on south facing hill and mountain side slopes. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Aridic Argixerolls

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

A1--0 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine vesicular, common fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 10 cm thick)

A2--10 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine, few medium tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 15 cm thick)

Bt1--25 to 43 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 35 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

Bt2--43 to 61 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many faint clay films on ped faces; many colloidal stains on mineral grains; 45 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear irregular boundary. (10 to 23 cm thick)

Bt3--61 to 84 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; many pressure faces, common prominent clay films lining pores; 55 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 28 cm thick)

Cr--84 cm; soft weathered tuff.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 13 miles north of Tuscarora, Nevada adjacent to the south fork of the Owyhee River, about 300 feet south and 500 feet west of the northeast corner of section 12, T. 41 N., R. 51 E.; USGS Cottonwood Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 28 minutes 21 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 11 minutes 4 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.4725000 latitude, -116.1844444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring; dry mid-July through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 5 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 25 cm.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Soil thickness and depth to paralithic contact: 50 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist.

Bt horizon
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Very gravelly clay or very gravelly clay loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bagard, Fera, Gosumi, Heusser, Kleckner, Quarz, Slaven and Snellby series.

Bagard, Fera, Gosumi, Heusser and Kleckner soils have bedrock at depth greater than 100 cm. Quarz and Slaven soils have lithic contact at depths of 50 to 100 cm. Snellby soils have mollic epipedon that are 25 to 50 cm thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Blitzen soils are on south facing hill and mountain side slopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from tuffs, andesite and other related volcanic rocks and some mixed sedimentary rocks. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,710 to 1,955 meters. Mean annual precipitation is 250 to 360 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Booford, Chen, Cotant, Graley, Hapgood, Loncan, Pequop, and Tusel soils. Booford soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in their particle-size control sections. Chen and Graley soils have bedrock at depths of 30 to 50 cm. Cotant soils are 30 to 50 cm to a paralithic contact. Hapgood, Pequop and Tusel soils are greater than 100 cm to bedrock. Loncan soils are 53 to 97 cm to a lithic contact.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, bottlebrush Sandberg bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, cheatgrass and basin wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Nevada. MLRA 25. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Northwest Area, Elko County, Nevada, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to 23 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizons - The zone from 23 to 84 cm (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).
Paralithic contact: The zone at 84 cm (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 23 to 73 cm (Bt1, Bt2, part of the Bt3 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.