LOCATION CONNEL                  NV

Established Series
Rev. LIL/PWB/RLB/JBF
02/2016

CONNEL SERIES

The Connel series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in loess with a component of volcanic ash over alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Connel soils are on beach terraces barrier bars, lagoons, stream terraces, intermittent drainage channels, fan piedmont remnants, fan skirts and inset fans. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocambids

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

A1--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many fine and medium vesicular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

A2--8 to 15 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

Bw--15 to 36 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 38 cm thick)

Bq--36 to 51 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; continuous brittle matrix; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

2Bqk--51 to 64 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; carbonate coatings on gravel; strongly effervescent; 40 percent gravel; continuous brittle matrix; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)

2Bk--64 to 152 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many fine and medium interstitial pores; some carbonate coatings on gravel and cobbles; strongly effervescent; 65 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2)

TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, Nevada; approximately 3 miles north and 1 mile west of Orovada, about 700 feet south and 500 feet east of the northwest corner of section 15, T. 43 N., R. 37 E.; USGS Orovada 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 36 minutes 40 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 48 minutes 26 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.6111111 latitude, -117.8072222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist winter and spring, dry from June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to unconformable gravel and sand: 50 to 89 cm.
Depth to continuous brittle matrix: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to carbonates: 46 to 76 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Upper part is 12 to 18 percent, lower part is 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: Upper part is less than 15 percent gravel, lower part is 40 to 80 percent mainly gravel with 0 to 20 percent cobbles.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam.
Structure: Angular blocky, subangular blocky or prismatic.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bq horizon (when present)
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.

2Bqk and 2Bk horizons
Hue: Variable, reflects lithochromic colors of the mineral grains.
Value: Variable, reflects lithochromic colors of the mineral grains.
Chroma: 1 through 4.
Texture: Very gravelly or extremely gravelly sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, and loamy coarse sand.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 40 to 80 percent gravel with 0 to 20 percent cobbles.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: Has less than 5 percent in any subhorizon within 100 cm.
Other features: The Bqk horizon is continuous brittle matrix with some subhorizons of some pedons that contain more than 20 percent durinodes in a discontinuously cemented brittle matrix.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Neppel series. Neppel soils are 50 to 100 cm to silica cementation.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Connel soils are on beach terraces, barrier bars, lagoons, stream terraces, intermittent drainage channels, fan piedmont remnants, fan skirts and inset fans. These soils formed in loess with a component of volcanic ash over alluvium from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations are 1,220 to 1,895 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 180 to 250 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bliss, McConnel, Orovada, Rebel and Skull Creek soils. Bliss soils have strongly cemented duripans at 50 to 91 cm. McConnel soils have sandy- skeletal control sections and lack Bq horizons. Orovada and Rebel soils are deep and are not underlain by unconformable gravelly or sandy material within 100 cm. Skull Creek soils have indurated duripans in the 50 to 100 cm depth zone.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat with some areas of irrigated cropland. The present vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, spiny hopsage, littleleaf horsebrush, rabbitbrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, Sandberg bluegrass, cheatgrass, mustard and other forbs. The principal irrigated crops are alfalfa, small grains and potatoes.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central and northeast Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24, 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, Central Part, 1986.

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 Bw horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 15 from 36 cm (Bw horizon).
Xeric intergrade - Meets organic carbon requirement for xeric.
Duric horizon - The zone from 36 to 64 cm (Bq and 2Bqk horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm. (Bw, Bq, 2Bqk and parts of the 2Bk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.