LOCATION CREN                    NV

Established Series
Rev. GJS-CEJ-JBF
11/2016

CREN SERIES

The Cren series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with an admixture of volcanic ash. The Cren soils are on fan skirts, alluvial fans and terraces and inset fans. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 180 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Duric Torriorthents

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

A1--0 to 18 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate very thin and thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many and very fine vesicular, interstitial, and tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Bk1--18 to 46 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; violently effervescent; common fine filaments of secondary carbonates; 2 percent small weak durinodes; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

Bk2--46 to 66 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 2 percent weak durinodes; violently effervescent; few fine filaments of secondary carbonates; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 26 cm thick)

Bqk1--66 to 74 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 30 percent weak discontinuous silica cemented lenses; 2 percent small durinodes; violently effervescent; common medium filaments of secondary carbonates; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Bqk2--74 to 124 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few fine horizontal lenses of volcanic ash; 30 percent weak, 5 to 15 mm durinodes; violently effervescent; few fine filaments of secondary carbonates; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 64 cm thick)

Bqk3--124 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent 10 to 30 mm weak and moderately strong durinodes; violently effervescent; common fine filaments of secondary carbonates; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6)

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; approximately 62 miles southwest of Battle Mountain; about 2,700 feet west and 2,200 feet south of the northeast corner of section 34, T. 25 N., R. 40 E.; USGS Home Station Gap 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 59 minutes 54 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 27 minutes 44 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.9983333 latitude, -117.4622222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods from October through May; aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to Bqk horizon: 38 to 76 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Other features: Lenses of volcanic ash are present in the lower profile of some pedons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Texture: Averages silt loam with less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser particles.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Platy or prismatic, or it is massive.

Bk horizons
Value: 5 to 7 dry.
Chroma: 2 to 4.
Texture: Silt loam with thin strata of very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam common in some pedons.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry, nonsticky or slightly sticky wet.

Bqk horizons
Value: 5 to 7 dry.
Chroma: 2 to 4.
Texture: Silt loam with thin strata of very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam common in some pedons.
Cementation: 20 to 40 percent weak or moderately strongly cemented durinodes. A 8 to 25 cm thick horizon that is 20 to 50 percent discontinuous weakly silica-cemented is common between depths of 38 to 76 cm.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry, nonsticky or slightly sticky wet.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Moranch series. Moranch soils have continuous weakly cemented Cqk horizons at depths of 13 to 38 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cren soils are on fan skirts and inset fans, alluvial fans, alluvial terraces and lagoons along shorelines of ancient Pleistocene lakes. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with an admixture of volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Elevations are 1,345 to 1,925 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 150 to 200 mm; mean annual temperature is 8 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Broyles, Creemon, Hessing, Pumper and Relley soils. These soils have cambic horizons. Broyles and Hessing soils also have coarse-loamy control sections. Pumper soils have sandy-skeletal control sections. Relley soils have fine-silty particle-size control sections.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland, irrigated cropland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly shadscale, bud sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, mustards, and pepperweed.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central and central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24, 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, North Part, Nevada, 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 18 cm (A horizon)
Duric horizon - The zone from 66 to 152 cm (Bqk1, Bqk2, and Bqk3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (the Bk2 and Bqk1 horizons and portions of the Bk1 and Bqk2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.