LOCATION CAUDLE                  NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. TM/RLB/JVC/JBF
11/2016

CAUDLE SERIES

The Caudle series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived mainly from volcanic rocks. Caudle soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Caudle fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A1--0 to 5 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine vesicular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

A2--5 to 8 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 cm thick)

Bt--8 to 20 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate coarse and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

Btqk--20 to 36 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent durinodes; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

Bk1--36 to 61 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and vesicular pores; 5 cm thick white (10YR 8/1) ash layer; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9). abrupt irregular boundary. (25 to 40 cm thick)

Bk2--61 to 99 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few fine distinct dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) redox concentrations, moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; (pH 8.4). clear wavy boundary. (36 to 46 cm thick)

C--99 to 152 cm very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few fine distinct dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) redox concentrations, moist; massive; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; about 1,000 feet west and 300 feet south of the northeast corner of section 4, T. 12 N., R. 43 E.; USGS Carvers 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 56 minutes 11 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 8 minutes 52 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.9363889 latitude, -117.1477778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist for short periods in the winter and spring, dry from summer to mid-fall; typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 13 degrees C.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to durinodes: 20 to 43 cm.
Depth to identifiable secondary carbonates: 25 to 43 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as rhyolite and tuff.

A horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Electrical conductivity (EC): 2 to 32 mmhos/cm.

Bt and Btqk horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Loam or clay loam.
Structure: Weak to moderate subangular blocky or prismatic structure.
Durinodes: 20 to 30 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Electrical conductivity (EC): 2 to 32 mmhos/cm.

Bk horizons
Texture: Loam, silt loam, or clay loam.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
Electrical conductivity (EC): 4 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Redoximorphic features: Faint or distinct relict redox concentrations are below 60 cm in some pedons.

C horizon
Texture: Loam or sandy loam.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.
Electrical conductivity (EC): 4 to 16 mmhos/cm.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Nyala, Tocan, Unsel, and Vigus series.

Nyala soils have more than 50 percent sand in the particle-size control section and have continuous weakly cemented Bqk horizons. Tocan soils do not have identifiable secondary carbonates in the argillic horizon. Unsel soils have 15 to 30 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and have sandy, very gravelly or extremely gravelly horizons in the lower part of the substratum. Vigus soils do not have identifiable secondary carbonates in the argillic horizon and have 5 to 15 percent rock fragments and more than 50 percent sand in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Caudle soils are on fan remnants. They formed in alluvium derived mainly from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. Elevations range from 1,220 to 1,720 meters. The climate is cool-arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 150 mm, the mean annual temperature is 9 to 12 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lahontan, Orizaba, and Wardenot soils and the competing Vigus soil. Lahontan soils are fine, have endosaturation in horizons above 100 cm, and do not have argillic horizons. Orizaba soils are fine-loamy, have endosaturation in horizons within 150 cm, and have accumulation of soluble salts and sodium. Wardenot soils are sandy-skeletal and do not have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Caudle soils are used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. A few areas have been cleared and cultivated. The vegetation is mainly shadscale, black greasewood, and alkali sacaton.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are not extensive, with about 3,400 acres of the series mapped. MLRAs 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nye County, Nevada (Big Smoky Valley Area), 1972.

REMARKS: The concept of the Nevada soil named Caudle was originally that of a sodium affected series. This soil was proposed as a Natrargid under the series name of Ikes. It was lost in the final correlation of Big Smoky Valley Area in 1972. The Caudle series was originally mapped in Modoc and Lassen counties in California in MLRAs 23 and 26. Responsibility for the series was transferred to Nevada in 1993. The current concept of the Caudle series needs examination even for drainage class when MLRA 28B is updated in the future.

Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 8 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 36 cm (Bt and Btqk horizons).
Duric feature - The zone from 20 to 36 cm (Btqk horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 36 cm (Bt and Btqk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.