LOCATION BLUEMASS                NV

Established Series
Rev. GWM-PNL-JVC-JBF
03/2012

BLUEMASS SERIES

The Bluemass series consists of shallow to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from quartz monzonite. Bluemass soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Argidic Durixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Bluemass gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered with approximately 30 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and many fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A2--8 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, many fine, common medium, and common coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 28 cm thick)

Bt--25 to 46 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, many fine, common medium, and common coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; few faint clay films lining pores and bridging sand grains; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 20 cm thick)

2Bqkm--46 to 61 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) duripan, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; massive; extremely hard, slightly rigid; and brittle, strongly cemented by secondary silica and secondary calcium carbonates; few very fine roots in fractures; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

2Cqk--61 to 74 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) very gravelly loamy sand, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent weakly silica and secondary calcium carbonate cementation throughout, 15 percent less than 2.5 cm thick lenses that are strongly cemented by secondary silica and secondary calcium carbonates; 40 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

2C--74 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly coarse sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, few fine, and few medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8). (50 to 80 cm thick)

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; in Pleasant Valley about 0.25 mile southwest of the intersection of the Pleasant Valley and Rock Springs roads; about 1,600 feet north and 1,475 feet east of the southwest corner of section 2, T. 21 N., R. 69 E.; USGS Blue Mass Canyon 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 43 minutes 20 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 8 minutes 58 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist from late fall through spring, dry mid-July through October except when intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convective storms between July and October; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 36 cm, includes the Bt horizon in some pedons.
Depth to duripan: 36 to 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent fine gravel. Lithology of fragments is mainly granitic rock such as quartz monzonite.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.

Bt horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly loam or gravelly sandy loam.

2Bqkm horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.

2Cqk horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly loamy coarse sand, or very gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly fine (2 to 5 mm diameter) gravel.
Secondary silica and secondary calcium carbonates: 30 percent weakly cemented by secondary silica and secondary calcium carbonates throughout, 15 percent less than 2.5 cm thick lenses that are strongly cemented by secondary silica and secondary calcium carbonates.

2C horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly sand and very gravelly coarse sand.
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly fine (2 to 5 mm diameter) gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Aned series. Aned soils have 27 to 35 percent clay and 5 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bluemass soils are on fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from quartz monzonite. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 1,925 to 2,260 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 8 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gremmers, Snapeed, Willynat, and Zafod soils. Gremmers soils have ochric epipedons and do not have argillic horizons. Snapeed soils are loamy-skeletal, moderately deep to lithic contacts, and have cambic horizons. Willynat soils are loamy-skeletal, very deep, and have thick mollic epipedons. Zafod are loamy-skeletal, moderately deep to strongly cemented duripans, and have ochric epipedons and calcic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bluemass soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, and needleandthread.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part 2004.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 25 to 46 cm (Bt horizon).
Duripan - The zone from 46 to 61 cm (2Bqkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 46 cm (Bt horizon).

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.