LOCATION CHILPER                 NV

Established Series
Rev. MJZ-RPZ-JVC-JBF
05/2016

CHILPER SERIES

The Chilper series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous rocks with some influence from loess and volcanic ash. Chilper soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey over loamy-skeletal, smectitic over mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Chilper cobbly very fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partly covered with 10 percent gravel and 7 percent cobbles.

A1--0 to 8 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) cobbly very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many fine and medium vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel and 7 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A2--8 to 18 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

BA--18 to 33 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 2 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

2Btnk--33 to 56 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine prismatic structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; many faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine filaments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

2Btnky--56 to 74 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; many faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; secondary carbonates and gypsum segregated as many fine seams; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

3Bqk--74 to 152 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm and brittle, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 70 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; continuous brittle matrix; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Pershing County, Nevada; about 20 miles southeast of Lovelock near the Buena Vista Hills; approximately 1,910 feet east and 800 feet north of the southwest corner of section 23, T. 25 N., R. 34 E.; USGS Buena Vista Hills North 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 0 minutes 57 seconds north latitude and 118 degrees 07 minutes 42 seconds west longitude; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.0158333 latitude, -118.128333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist for short periods in winter and early spring, dry from June through October; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 15 degrees C.
Depth to base of natric horizon: 50 to 90 cm.
Depth to strongly contrasting horizons with firm, brittle matrix: 50 to 90 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent in the upper part and 5 to 10 percent in the contrasting lower part.
Rock fragments: Up to 15 percent in the upper part and 60 to 80 percent in the lower part; Fragments are mainly gravel of mixed igneous lithology.

A and BA horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Other features: Noneffervescent through strongly effervescent in some pedons.

2Btn horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay loam or clay.
Structure: Strong fine or medium prismatic structure.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent.
Gypsum content: 0 to 10 percent.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 31 to 45.
Other features: Identifiable secondary carbonates segregated throughout with gypsum only in the lower subhorizons.

3Bqk horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 31 to 45.
Secondary silica: A firm brittle matrix is present for a minimum thickness of 15 cm in at least one subhorizon above 100 cm.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chilper soils are on fan remnants. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous rocks with some influence from a surface mantle of loess high in volcanic ash. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 1,070 to 1,520 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 150 mm, the mean annual temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 110 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Knoss and Trocken soils. Trocken soils are loamy-skeletal and do not have natric horizons. Knoss soils are shallow to an indurated duripan.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Chilper soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly shadscale, bud sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, pine bluegrass, and Sandberg's bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County (East Part), Nevada, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 33 cm (A1, A2, and BA horizons).
Natric horizon - The zone from 33 to 74 cm (2Btnk and 2Btnky horizons).
Duric feature - The zone from 74 to 152 cm (3Bqk horizon).
Major lithologic discontinuity - The abrupt change to loamy-skeletal material at 74 cm (3Bqk horizon).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 33 to 74 cm (2Btnk and 2Btnky horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 33 to 74 cm (2Btnk and 2Btnky horizons and part of the 3Bqk horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: A pedon of Chilper has full characterization data by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S82NV-027-003 (pedon # 82P0710).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.