LOCATION BLUDIAMOND              NV

Established Series
Rev. LJL/TM/RLB
04/2015

BLUDIAMOND SERIES

The Bludiamond series consists of moderately deep to a hardpan, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium from calcareous sandstone and limestone. Bludiamond soils are on fan remnants. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 60 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Argic Petrocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Bludiamond loamy fine sand, rangeland and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 10 percent pebbles.

A--0 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loamy fine sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak very thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 10 inches thick)

2Bt--8 to 16 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and few coarse roots; common very fine, fine and few medium tubular pores; many distinct clay bridging and clay films lining pores; 20 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)

2Btk1--16 to 21 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores and few very fine and fine interstitial; many faint clay bridging and clay films lining pores and common faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine irregular soft seams of calcium carbonate; 45 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; strongly effervescent (20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.

2Btk2--21 to 26 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial and tubular pores; few faint clay bridging ; few fine irregular soft seams of calcium carbonate;45 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles and 4 percent stones; violently effervescent (18 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the 2Btk horizons is 7 to 25 inches)

2Bk--26 to 36 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial and tubular pores; common coarse irregular disseminated pockets of lime; 45 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles and 4 percent stones; violently effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)

3Bqkm--36 to 60 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) moderately cemented petrocalcic horizon with 1 to 2 millimeter laminar cap, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) moist; massive; very hard, extremely firm, violently effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; approximately 2 miles west-southwest of Blue Diamond, NV and 1 1/2 miles east of Black Velvet Canyon; about 700 feet south and 200 feet west of the northeast corner of section 14, T. 22 S., R. 58 E.; USGS Blue Diamond, NV 7.5 minute quadrangle; 36 degrees, 2 minutes, 14 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 26 minutes, 11 seconds west longitude; UTM 11, 640863e, 3989208n; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July to October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic Aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature - 59 to 65 degrees F.

Depth to argillic horizon - 1 to 10 inches.

Depth to base of argillic horizon - 12 to 30 inches.

Depth to petrocalcic horizon - 21 to 40 inches.

Control section - Percent clay: Averages 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel with 5 to 20 percent cobbles or stones.

A horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.

Effervescence: Non effervescence to very slightly effervescent.


2Bt horizon - Hue: 5YR or 2.5YR.
Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6.
Clay content: 20 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 50 percent, mainly gravel.
Structure: Strong or moderate, thick, very thick or medium, and subangular blocky or platy.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 0 to 5 percent.


2Btk1 and 2Btk2 horizons - Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6.
Texture: Sandy loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent to violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 15 to 30 percent; 20 to 35 percent of the less than 20 mm fraction.


2Bk horizon (when present) - Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6.
Clay content: 6 to 12 percent.
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 sandstone and limestone pebbles,
Structure: Massive or subangular blocky.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 15 to 30 percent; 20 to 35 percent of the less than 20 mm fraction.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

3Bqkm horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Consistence: Hard to very hard, very firm to extremely firm.
Cementation: Weakly cemented to moderately cemented. Cemented with calcium carbonate and a minor amount of accessory silica. 90 to 100 percent of pan fragments are disolved by soaking in hydrochloric acid.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bermesa (UT) series. Bermesa soils have basalt bedrock at 23 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bludiamond soils are on fan remnants. These soils formed in mixed alluvium from calcareous sandstone and limestone. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. Elevations are 3,600 to 4,200 feet. The climate is arid, with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 7 to 9 inches, mean annual air temperature is 57 to 63 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 170 to 230 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Purob, Diamondhil and Irongold series. Purob soils lack an argillic horizon, have a mesic soil temperature regime and carbonatic mineralogy. Diamondhil soils have a mesic soil temperature regime and a duripan. Irongold soils lack an argillic horizon and have carbonatic mineralogy.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly blackbrush, spiny menodora, big galleta and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada. MLRA 30. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County Area, Nevada, 2006. Proposed in Clark County, Nevada, 1995. The name is coined from the nearby town of Blue Diamond, NV.

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

Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches (Part of the A horizon).
Argillic horizon - 8 to 26 inches (2Bt, 2Btk1 and 2Btk2 horizons).
Petrocalcic horizon - 36 to 60 inches (3Bqkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - 8 to 26 inches (2Bt, 2Btk1 and 2Btk2 horizons).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 7/2006. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.