LOCATION CRUTCHER                NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. SES-TM-JVC
12/2019

CRUTCHER SERIES

The Crutcher series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in volcanic ash and alluvium over lacustrine deposits. Crutcher soils are on alluvial flats. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8.3 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, mesic Sodic Xeric Haplocambids

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

A1--0 to 5 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) ashy very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; strong thick platy structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) ashy very fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; strong medium and thick platy structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 13 cm thick)

Bw--13 to 38 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) ashy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure parting to strong very fine subangular blocky; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine and medium, few coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 41 cm thick)

Bq--38 to 56 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) ashy silt loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; strong thin and medium platy structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; common fine distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist masses of iron accumulation; 10 percent 15 to 25 millimeter hard durinodes; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Ck1--56 to 81 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) stratified ashy sandy loam and ashy silty clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; weak medium and thick platy structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many fine and medium distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist zones of iron depletion; secondary carbonates segregated as many fine and medium masses; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear wavy boundary.

Ck2--81 to 110 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) stratified ashy loam and ashy silty clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak medium and thick platy structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many fine and medium distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist zones of iron depletion; 5 percent sedimentary paragravel; compacted lacustrine sediments; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine and medium masses; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary.

2Ckq--110 to 147 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) paragravelly ashy silt loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium and thick platy structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent sedimentary paragravel; compacted lacustrine sediments; common fine prominent dark greenish gray (5G 4/1) and common fine and medium distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist zones of iron depletion; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine and medium masses; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary.

3Ck--147 to 188 cm; pale yellow (5Y 8/2) paragravelly ashy silty clay loam, olive (5Y 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent sedimentary paragravel; compacted lacustrine sediments; many fine distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist zones of iron depletion and common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine masses; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; on the northeast side of Duck Flat about 300 feet southwest of State Highway 447; approximately 1,550 feet south and 2,000 feet west of the northeast corner of section 19, T. 37 N., R. 19 E.; USGS Duck Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 04 minutes 43.1 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 53 minutes 32.8 seconds west longitude, WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.0786389 latitude, -119.8924444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring, dry June through October; saturated 100 to 150 cm late winter through summer; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 8.3 to 10.0 degrees C.
Depth to base of cambic horizon - 25 to 64 cm.
Volcanic glass content - 40 to 60 percent in the coarse silt through very coarse sand fractions.


Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.


A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Weak to strong thin through thick platy.
Consistence: Hard or slightly hard.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 50.


Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Weak or moderate very fine to coarse subangular blocky or platy parting to subangular blocky.
Effervescence: Strongly or violently effervescent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Texture: Ashy silt loam or ashy loam.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 50.


Bq horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, very friable or friable.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Durinodes: Up to 15 percent, in a very friable or friable matrix.
Sodicity (SAR): 15 to 50.


Ck horizon
Hue: 5Y or 2.5Y.
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Structure: Platy or it is massive.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Carbonates: Few to many very fine to medium masses or filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 12 percent
Sodicity (SAR): 5 to 30.


2Ck horizon
Hue: 5Y or 2.5Y.
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent.
Carbonates: Few to many very fine to medium masses or filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 10 percent
Sodicity (SAR): 5 to 13.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Crutcher soils are on alluvial flats. These soils formed in volcanic ash and alluvium over lacustrine deposits. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,360 to 1,680 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7.2 to 8.9 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Couch, Emagert, and Pegler soils. Couch soils are fine and have natric horizons. Emagert soils have Mollic epipedons and are noncalcareous. Pegler soils are shallow to tuff and are well drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low or very low surface runoff; moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity). Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 83 and 150 cm (deep free water occurrence class) between February and August. Cumulative annual duration class is Persistent. These soils are susceptible to rare flooding for very brief periods between November and June.

USE AND VEGETATION: Crutcher soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly basin wildrye, inland saltgrass, black greasewood, and rabbitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are not extensive with about 9,000 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 23.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area, California and Nevada, 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (The A1 and A2 horizons and part of the Bw horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 13 to 38 cm (The Bw horizon).

Durinodes - The zone from 38 to 56 cm (The Bq horizon).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 56 to 188 cm (The Ck1, Ck2, 2Ckq, and 3Ck horizons).

Particle-size control section and ashy substitute class with glassy mineralogy - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (The Bq and Ck1 horizons and parts of the Bw and Ck2 horizons).


A revision in August 2000 changed the taxonomic classification from Fine, smectitic, calcareous, frigid Xeric Torrifluvents.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.