LOCATION CATNIP NV+CAInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, frigid Xerollic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Catnip extremely cobbly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
About 80 percent of the soil surface is covered by cobbles.
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) when moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 5 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) when moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; many uncoated sand grains; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
B21t--5 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) clay with coatings of light gray (10YRT 7/2) on column tops, brown (7.5YR 5/4) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium columnar structure; extremely hard, ver firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and common very fine exped, and few fine inped roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; many pressure cutans on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
B22t--7 to 11 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) when moist; strong medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and common very fine inped roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; many pressure cutans and thick continuous clay films on pores; few coarse slickensides; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
B23t--11 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many pressure cutans and thick continuous clay films in pores; few coarse slickensides; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
B24tca--16 to 26 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on peds and in pores; effervescent in matrix but violently effervescent in few coarse distinct lime masses; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 11 inches thick)
B3ca--26 to 35 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) when moist; massive; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; common coarse distinct white (10YR 8/2) lime segregations and coatings on cobbles and stones; effervescent in matrix but violently effervescent in segregations; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
R--35 inches; very dark gray (N 3/0) porous basalt with common moderately thick clay films along cleavage planes, many coarse distinct white (10YR 8/2) segregations of lime coating rock surface and along fractures, and many medium and coarse faint black (10YR 2/1) manganese coatings on upper rock surface.
TYPE LOCATION: Wasshoe County, Nevada; approximately 500 feet east and 200 feet south of the NW corner of section 3, T.46N., R.19E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum and depth to a lithic contact range from 20 to 40 inches. These soils are usually dry, but are moist in the winter and for 1/4 the time the soil temperature is warmer than 41 degrees F. in the spring and late fall. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 44 to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature ranges from 60 to 64 degrees F. The upper part of the solum is noncalcareous and range is pH from 6.6 in the A1 horizon to 7.9 in the B2t horizon. The lower part of the solum is calcareous and contains coarse lime segregations, mainly on the exterior of peds, and pH values range from 7.6 to 8.4. Depth to the lime accumulations ranges from 15 to 28 inches.
The A1 horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, and 2 through 4 moist. It has weak or moderate, thin or medium platy or granular structure or is massive. The A2 horizon has hue dominantly of 10YR, but of 7.5YR in some pedons, value of 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. The epipedon has value higher than 5.5 dry, 3.5 moist, or chroma greater than 3 moist, or the horizon is too thin to qualify for a mollic epipedon.
The B2t horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2, 3 or 4. It has strong, medium or coarse columnar structure in the upper part and moderate or strong, medium or coarse prismatic or subangular blcoky structure in the lower part. This horizon is dominantly heavy clay and averages 60 or 75 percent clay. The B3tca horizon is in all pedons except those that are less than 26 inches to bedrock.
The bedrock is unweathered except for the surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch in some pedons. Segregated lime is common along the lithic contact and in cracks and vesicules within the bedrock.
COMPETING SERIES AND THEIR DIFFERENTIAE: These are the Fertaline, Borda, Millerlux, Termo and Toney series. Fertaline soils have indurated duripans and have less than 60 percent clay in their B2t horizons. Borda soils have mean annual soil temperature warmer than 47 degrees F., less than 60 percent clay, less than 15 percent sodium in their B2t horizons, and lack columnar structure. Millerlux soils have a lithic contact at depths of 12 to 20 inches. Termo soils have B2t horizons with less than 60 percent clay, and lack bedrock within 40 inches. Toney soils have less than 60 percent clay in their B2t horizons.
GEOGRAPHICALLY SETTING: Catnip soils are on smooth, nearly level to moderately sloping basaltic tablelands at elevations of 5,800 to 6,800 feet. They formed in loamy residuum weathered from tuff with minor admixture of basalt. The climate is cool, continental, with an annual precipitation of 12 to 16 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 42 to 45 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Catnip soils are in the same general area as Karlo, Madeline and Ninemile soils. Karlo soils lack argillic horizons and are self mulching. Madeline and Ninemile soils have a mollic epipedon and have a lithic contact at depths of 10 to 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Low sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, squirreltail, low Douglas rabbitbrush, and miscellaneous forbs are the dominant plants.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Catnip soils are in northwestern Nevada, southeastern Oregon and northeastern California. They are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County, Nevada, 1974.
REMARKS: Catnip soils were formerly classified as Chestnut soils.
ADDITIONAL DATA: SSIR Number 23.