LOCATION CLURDE                  NV+OR

Established Series
Rev. TM-MJD-JVC-JBF
02/2016

CLURDE SERIES

The Clurde series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in loess and volcanic ash over alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Clurde soils are on fan remnants, inset fans, and lake terraces. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Clurde silt loam--rangeland. (Colors for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 13 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; common fine vesicular and interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

BA--13 to 28 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; common fine interstitial and tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

Bw--28 to 43 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few faint clay films lining pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 33 cm thick)

Bqk1--43 to 74 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; approximately 20 percent very hard, firm and brittle durinodes; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated in many medium light gray (10YR 7/2) masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (23 to 33 cm thick)

2Bqk2--74 to 127 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; very few very fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 50 percent very hard, firm and brittle durinodes; 30 percent gravel; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine coats on durinodes and rock fragments; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; about 2 miles south of the Humboldt River and the Barth Iron Mine; approximately 590 feet north and 60 feet west of the southeast corner of section 13, T. 31 N., R. 50 E.; USGS Scotts Gulch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; longitude 40 degrees 33 minutes 19 seconds N and latitude 116 degrees 16 minutes 32 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.5552778 latitude, -116.2755556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section for short periods from November through April, dry from June through October; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to base of cambic horizon: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to horizons with secondary carbonates and durinodes: 25 to 60 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 30 percent.

A horizon
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist; layers with chroma of 5 dry and 3 moist are less than 18 cm thick.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Other features: Pedons with transitional BA horizons are common.

Bw horizon
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam, silt loam, or clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel.
Structure: Weak or medium subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry; friable or very friable, moist; slightly sticky or moderately sticky and slightly plastic or moderately plastic, wet.
Reaction: Neutral through strongly alkaline.

Bqk horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Coarse sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, loamy sand, gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam, or gravelly loamy sand.
Clay content: 5 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 2 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.
Structure: Weak or medium subangular blocky or platy or is massive.
Consistence: Friable or firm, moist; nonsticky to moderately sticky and nonplastic to moderately plastic, wet
Reaction: Slightly alkaline to very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as common or many masses in the matrix or as coats on rock fragments and durinodes.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to violently effervescent.
Durinodes: 20 to 60 percent weakly to strongly cemented durinodes. Thin layers with discontinuous weak cementation are in some pedons.
Other features: Thin Bq horizons are above Bqk horizons in some pedons.

C horizon (when present)
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam, gravelly loam, gravelly sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam.
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 2 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Cluro series. Cluro soils have redox concentrations of iron within a depth of 100 cm and have endosaturation within a depth of 180 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Clurde soils are on fan remnants, inset fans, and lake terraces. These soils formed in loess and volcanic ash over alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 1,250 to 1,860 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 80 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bunky, Orovada, and Short Creek soils. Bunky soils are moderately deep to strongly cemented duripans. Orovada soils are coarse-loamy. Short Creek soils are clayey-skeletal.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Clurde soils are used for irrigated hayland, rangeland, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, littleleaf horsebrush, basin wildrye, and cheatgrass. Many areas of this soil have been burned and seeded to crested wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada and south-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 24, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 23 in Oregon and MLRA 25 in Nevada.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County (Tuscarora Mountain Area), Nevada, 1979.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm. (A and part of the BA horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 28 to 43 cm (Bw horizon).
Durinodes - The zone from 43 to 127 cm (Bqk1 and 2Bqk2 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 43 to 127 cm (Bqk1 and 2Bqk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bw, Bqk1, parts of the BA and 2Bqk2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.