LOCATION CLOSKEY                 NV

Established Series
Rev. EWB/IJR/RLB/JBF
08/2012

CLOSKEY SERIES

The Closkey series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium from granitic rocks. The Closkey soils are on rock pediments and mountains. Slopes are 4 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 450 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Closkey very gravelly loamy coarse sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with approximately 35 percent pebbles.

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 20 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 15 cm thick)

Bt1--20 to 41 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay films bridging sand grains; 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

Bt2--41 to 66 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay films bridging sand grains and on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear irregular boundary. (20 to 51 cm thick)

Cr--66 to 84 cm; weathered granite.

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; about 200 feet northwest of Mahogany Spring in Great Basin National Park; USGS Kious Spring 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; about 1,000 feet south and 1,300 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 31, T.13N., R. 70 E. latitude 38 degrees 57 minutes 37 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 09 minutes 26 seconds W; UTM Zone 11 746321e, 4316207n, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry; moist in winter and spring, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; Aridic bordering on xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annualoil temperature: 5.5 to 7 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 41 cm; includes Bt1 horizon.
Depth to a paralithic contact: 50 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Percent clay: Average 18 to 27 percent.
Sand in fine earth fraction: 50 percent fine sand or coarser.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent, dominantly 2 to 5 mm diameter gravel.

A horizons - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.

Bt horizons - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy loam or sandy clay loam, sandy loam usually occurs in Bt1 horizon.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent, most of gravel are 2 to 5 mm. in diameter.
Structure: Fine and medium subangular blocky.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, dry, very friable or friable, moist.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Belate, Burnborough, Devils, Dutchjohn, Gowjai, Granipeak, Jivas, Millan, Sumine, and Torro series.

Belate, Burnborough, Gowjai, Granipeak, Jivas, Millan and Torro soils are more than 100 cm deep.
Devils soils have 27 to 35 percent clay in their control section and are not dominated by 2 to 5 millimeter gravel. Dutchjohn soils have a paralithic contact from 100 to 150 cm and the mollic epipedon does not include the argillic horizon. Sumine soils lack appreciable amounts of fine gravel, have less than 50 percent fine sand or coarser in the fine earth of the control section, have 25 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have hard bedrock within 100 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Closkey soils are on rock pediments and mountain slopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium of granitic rocks. Slopes are 4 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,950 to 2,620 meters. The climate is dry-subhumid with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 500 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 40 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Garnel and Topeki soils. Garnel soils are shallow to a paralithic contact. Topeki soils are shallow and have a lithic contact.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Recreation, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Thurber's needlegrass. This site is correlated to Ecological Site R28AY066NV, Gravelly Loam 12-14 P.Z.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East Central Nevada. MLRA 28A. These soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Humboldt National Forest, Nevada, South Part, 2004. The name is coined.

REMARKS: The series was redefined and the type location moved in 1991.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 41 cm (the A1, A2 and Bt1 horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 20 to 66 cm ( the Bt1 and Bt2 horizon)
Paralithic contact - The boundary at about 66 cm (the upper boundary of the Cr horizon)

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.