LOCATION CIRAC NV

Established Series
Rev. JBF/WED
05/2016

CIRAC SERIES

The Cirac series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Cirac soils are on alluvial flats, lake plains, lagoons, fan skirts, inset fans and axial stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 100 mm and mean annual air temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Torrifluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Cirac sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered with 40 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 3 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A2--3 to 10 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine vesicular and many fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

C1--10 to 23 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; common very fine interstitial and common fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 53 cm thick)

C2--23 to 28 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 23 cm thick)

C3--28 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stratified gravelly sand through silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) with faint relict mottles, moist; massive; loose to hard, loose to friable, nonsticky to slightly sticky and nonplastic or slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Esmeralda County, Nevada; about 400 feet north and 1,600 feet east of the southwest corner of section 14, T. 2 N., R. 36 E. latitude 38 degrees, 01 minutes, 23 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 56 minutes 42 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.0230556 latitude, -117.945000 longitude..

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring months and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to summer convection storms; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 15 degrees C.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through violently effervescent throughout.
Salinity: 16 to 30 mmhos.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 90.
Organic matter: Decreases irregular with depth.

Particle-size control section - Clay contents: Averages 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Average 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel, with some layer containing up to 35 percent.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.

C horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Averages sandy loam or loam, includes layers of gravelly sand to silt loam.
Structure: Prismatic, subangular blocky, platy or is massive
Consistence: Soft to hard dry, very friable or friable moist, or is loose, nonsticky to sticky and nonplastic to plastic wet.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent average, with any strata containing up to 35 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are Eghelm, Gilco, Glenton, Ives, Juva, Neskahi, Thoroughfare (and Yelives series.

Eghelm soils have soil temperatures of less than 12 degrees C. Gilco soils contain SAR less than 13 are neutral to moderately alkaline and are moist from May through October. Glenton soils have an SAR of less than 1, and have a mean annual soil temperature of less than 12 degrees C. Ives soils have hue of 7.5YR or 5YR. Juva soils are not moist for 10 to 20 days during the summer. Neskahi and Thoroughfare soils have hue of 5YR or 2.5YR. Yelives soils are slightly or moderately alkaline with an SAR of less than 4.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cirac soils are on alluvial flats, lake plains, lagoons, fan skirts and axial stream terraces. Elevations are 1,250 to 1,860 meters. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 150 mm, the mean annual temperature is 11 to 14 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 130 to 170 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gynelle, Kawich, Rustigate, and Slaw series. Gynelle soils have more than 35 percent gravel and more sand. Kawich soils are sandy. Rustigate soils are fine-loamy and have high water table. Slaw soils are fine-silty.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing. The vegetation is dominantly black greasewood, shadscale and seepweed.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Nevada. These soils are inextensive. MLRA 27,29.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County, Nevada, 1984.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A1, A2 and part of the C1 horizons).
Organic matter - Irregular decrease.
Calcareous feature - Calcareous in all parts between 25 and 50 cm (part of C2 and C3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (part of C2 and C3 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.