LOCATION DITHOD NV

Established Series
Rev. WED-ELS-JVC-JBF
05/2016

DITHOD SERIES

The Dithod series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Dithod soils are on flood plains and low stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Dithod loam--irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 15 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and many coarse roots; common medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

A--15 to 38 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and many coarse roots; common medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

C1--38 to 74 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) finely stratified fine sandy loam and very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and many coarse roots; common coarse pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (30 to 50 cm thick)

C2--74 to 117 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and common medium roots; common medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (30 to 50 cm thick)

2C3--117 to 157 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 7.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Churchill County, Nevada; in the Lahontan Valley south of Sheckler Road and about 2.75 miles west of the intersection of U.S. Highways 50 and 95 in Fallon; approximately 1,200 feet east and 350 feet south of the northwest corner of section 3, T. 18 N., R. 28 E.; USGS Fallon 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 27 minutes 31 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 49 minutes 53seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.4586111 latitude, -118.831389 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry unless irrigated; under natural conditions these soils are moist in the moisture control section in winter and early spring, dry in late spring through fall; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 46 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 12 to 18 percent.

Ap and A horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Subangular blocky or platy.
Consistence: Soft to hard.
Reaction: Neutral to very strongly alkaline (up to pH 11.0).
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Other features: Some pedons have wetness mottles with chroma of 3 or 4.

C horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified loam, fine sand to clay loam averaging loam; may have strata of sand in some pedons.
Structure: Subangular blocky or massive; may have prismatic structure in drained phases.
Reaction: Neutral through strongly alkaline.
Other features: Buried A horizons are present in some pedons.

2C horizon (when present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified coarse sand to clay.
Reaction: Neutral through strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dehy, Dresslewet, and Sunset series.

Dehy soils have a xeric moisture regime and have cambic horizons. Dresslewet soils have mean annual soil temperature of 9 to 12 degrees C. Sunset soils have a xeric moisture regime.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dithod soils are on flood plains and stream terraces. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,158 to 1,341 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm. The mean annual temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C. The frost-free period is 110 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dia, East Fork, Fallon, and Sagouspe soils. Dia soils are fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Fallon soils have mainly sandy loam or fine sandy loam in the particle-size control section and have ochric epipedons. Sagouspe soils are sandy, calcareous, and have ochric epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 90 and 150 cm (moderately deep and deep free water occurrence classes) from December through September. Cumulative annual duration classes are Common or Persistent. These soils are susceptible to rare flooding for brief periods or occasional flooding for long periods between December and June.

USE AND VEGETATION: Dithod soils are used mainly for irrigated cropland. Most areas have been cleared, leveled, and irrigated. Alfalfa, small grains, corn, and legume-grass pastures are the principal crops. The native vegetation is basin big sagebrush and some perennial grasses or black greasewood and inland saltgrass in the more saline-sodic areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Churchill County (Fallon-Fernley Area), Nevada, 1971.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 38 cm (Ap and A horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 90 and 150 cm at certain times during normal years (parts of the C2 and 2C3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (C1 horizon and parts of the A and C2 horizons).

The revision of March 2003 changed the particle-size class from Fine-loamy to Coarse-loamy after field study of the series type location. Some Dithod components in Churchill, Lyon, and Washoe Counties, Nevada need future correlation to other soil series.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.