LOCATION CATH                    NV

Established Series
Rev. HJB-ELS-JVC
06/2016

CATH SERIES

The Cath series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed volcanic rocks. Cath soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Calciargids

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

A1--0 to 8 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 cm thick)

A2--8 to 15 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and few fine vesicular and few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

Bt--15 to 38 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; common distinct clay films lining pores and bridging sand grains; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 23 cm thick)

Btk--38 to 51 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and coating rock fragments; 15 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as few masses in the matrix and as coats on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Bqk1--51 to 71 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent durinodes; 35 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; secondary calcium carbonate and silica segregated as few coats on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

Bqk2--71 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam and very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial pores; discontinuous indurated laminae cemented by opaline silica; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; secondary calcium carbonate and silica segregated as few coats on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6)

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; about 20.5 miles southwest of Duckwater in Big Sand Springs Valley; section 2, T. 10 N., R. 53 E.; USGS Chaos Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 43 minutes 40 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 0 minutes 39 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.7277778 latitude, -116.0108333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C.
Ochric epipedon thickness: 6 to 10 cm.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 56 to 90 cm.
Depth to horizon with durinodes or firm, brittle matrix: 50 to 65 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is volcanic rock such as andesite, rhyolite, or tuff.

A horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR through 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 5, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay loam, loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.
Structure: Weak through strong, medium or coarse, prismatic or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard dry, friable to firm moist.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Btk horizon
Hue: 5YR through 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 5, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay loam, sandy clay loam, or gravelly clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent.
Structure: Weak through strong, medium or coarse, prismatic or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard dry, very friable through firm, moist, moderately sticky or very sticky, and moderately plastic or very plastic wet.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent.

Bqk1 horizon
Hue: 5YR through 10YR.
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Durinodes: 20 to 30 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent.

Bqk2 horizon
Hue: 5YR through 10YR.
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified very gravelly loamy coarse sand to very gravelly loam.
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Rupture resistance: Hard or very hard, dry.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 20 percent with more than 5 percent absolute higher than in an underlying horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bedke and Garbo series.

Bedke soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Garbo soils average 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cath soils are on fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed volcanic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 1,298 to 2,134 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 9 to 12 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chuckridge and Zadvar soils. Chuckridge soils are shallow or very shallow to duripans. Zadvar soils are shallow to duripans.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Cath soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, and needleandthread.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept is in MLRA 28B, while the main acreage occurs in MLRA 29.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County (Meadow Valley Area), Nevada, 1971.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 15 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 51 cm (Bt and Btk horizons).
Durinodes and duric feature - The zone from 51 to 152 cm (Bqk1 and Bqk2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 71 to 152 cm (Bqk2 horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 15 to 51 cm (Bt and Btk horizons).

The revision of July 2008 moved the type location from the Meadow Valley Area of Lincoln County, Nevada to the location of a typical pedon in Nye County, Nevada that better represents the series concept. This revision also updated the taxonomic classification from Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplargids based on the recognition of a calcic horizon.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.