LOCATION DEEPEEK                 NV

Established Series
Rev. RAF/TSB/RLB/JBF
01/2019

DEEPEEK SERIES

The Deepeek series consists of shallow over duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium and colluvium derived from mixed rocks. Deepeek soils are on fan piedmont remnants, hills and plateaus. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Xeric Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Deepeek very cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with approximately 20 percent gravel and l0 percent cobbles.

A1--0 to 5 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and common very fine roots; common medium vesicular and common fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 2 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak very fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary (5 to 8 cm thick)

Bt1--13 to 20 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and common fine roots; few medium and common fine tubular pores; few faintclay films on peds and lining pores; 15 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 cm thick)

Bt2--20 to 36 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very cobbly silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common medium and fine roots; common medium and fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on peds, common distinct clay films lining pores; 20 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)

Bqk--36 to 46 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) very gravelly silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; continuous brittle matrix, 25 percent brittle durinodes; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Bqkm--46 to 61 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) indurated duripan, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine roots in fractures; silica laminae are 0.5 to 2 mm thick; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)

Cqk--61 to 107 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; 20 percent gravel; continuous brittle matrix, 30 percent durinodes; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee Desert, Elko County, Nevada; approximately 14 miles northwest of Wilson Reservoir; about 1,000 feet north and 150 feet east of the southwest corner, section 14, T. 45 N., R. 48 E, Mount Diablo meridian; USGS Peterson Table West 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 47 minutes 41 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 34 minutes 8 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.7947222 latitude, -116.5688889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and early autumn; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to duripan: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 100 to over 150 cm.

Control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles.

Bt horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Very cobbly silt loam, very cobbly loam, and very cobbly silty clay loam.

Bq horizons
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Durinodes: 20 to 50 percent, imbedded in weakly silica cementation matrix.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Brock, Cleet, Hot Creek, Lapon, Littleailie, Malmesa, Oleman, Shinnpeak, Troughs, Vinini and Wanapum series.

Brock soils have a calcareous solum and very thick indurated duripans. Hot Creek, Lapon, Malmesa, Troughs and Vinini soils have a duripan at less than 36 cm. Oleman soils have soil temperature that ranges from 13 to 14 degrees C. and are not underlain by bedrock. Cleet and Shinnpeak soils have less than 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Wanapum soils do not have Bqk horizon below the Bt horizon and Wanapum soils have soil temperature that range from 11 to 13 degrees C.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Deepeek soils are on hills, plateaus and fan piedmont remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with some influence from loess and colluvium. Slopes are from 8 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,465 to 1,740 meters. Climate is cool and semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winter. Mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm; mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alley soils. Alley soils lack an indurated duripan. Alley soils also have less than 35 percent rock fragments in their argillic horizons.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, cheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and various annual forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. Deepeek soils are not extensive. MLRA 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 13 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 13 to 36 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 46 to 61 cm (Bqkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 36 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.