LOCATION DUGCHIP                 NV

Established Series
Rev. RLW-TM-RLB-JBF
02/2016

DUGCHIP SERIES

The Dugchip series consists of moderately deep to duripan, well drained soils that formed in loess and volcanic ash over alluvium derived from mixed rocks. The Dugchip soils are on fan piedmont remnants. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Natridurids

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

A1--0 to 5 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine, fine and medium vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very fine sandy loam that is high in volcanic ash, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; strong thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine, fine and medium vesicular pores; 2 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 18 cm thick)

Bw--13 to 25 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam that is high in volcanic ash, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate thin and medium platy; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine vesicular and tubular pores; few thin clay films lining pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

Bq--25 to 38 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; few fine prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) manganese stains with horizontal orientation; 20 percent strongly cemented durinodes; 5 percent gravel; continuous brittle matrix; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Bqk--38 to 46 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent weak and strongly cemented durinodes; few fine soft carbonate filaments; common thin carbonate coats on rock fragments; noneffervescent matrix; 10 percent gravel; continuous brittle matrix; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

2Btnkqb--46 to 79 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam,; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; many thin clay films lining pores and common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent weakly cemented durinodes; many fine soft filaments of segregated carbonate; violently effervescent; 10 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

2Bqkmb--79 to 99 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) indurated duripan with a continuous 1 to 5 mm thick silica laminae, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; many very thin silica and carbonate horizontal lamellae throughout horizon; violently effervescent; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

3Cqkb--99 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand; pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; continuous brittle matrix with lenses of cementation; many moderately thick carbonate pendants and common moderately thick carbonate coats on rock fragments; violently effervescent; 55 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, Nevada; approximately 17 miles north of Winnemucca in Paradise Valley, about 2,300 feet east and 1,600 feet north of the southwest corner of section 27, T. 39 N., R. 38 E.; USGS China Garden 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 13 minutes 34 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 41 minutes 18 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.2261111 latitude, -117.6883333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist from December through May, dry June through November; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to indurated duripan: 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to buried Bt horizons: 36 to 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Up to 15 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Bw horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR.

Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Very fine sandy loam or silt loam that is high in volcanic ash.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Up to 15 percent.
Structure: Platy or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry.
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bq and Bqk horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or silt loam that is high in volcanic ash.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Up to 15 percent.
Structure: Platy, subangular blocky or massive.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Silica cementation: From 30 percent discontinuous to continuous brittle matrix in any subhorizon with 20 to 50 percent durinodes.
Other features: Faint to prominent redox concentrations and/or manganese stains are common in most pedons.

2Btnkqb horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Loam or clay loam; thin subhorizons of clay are common in some pedons.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Up to 15 percent.
Structure: Prismatic with some pedons being subangular blocky in the lower subhorizons.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 45.
Secondary lime: As filaments and soft masses.
Durinodes: Up to 15 percent, 10 to 25 mm in size are common in most pedons.

3Bqkmb horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 moist.
Chroma: Neutral through 3.
Structure: Coarse platy or is massive.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.

2Cqkb horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Very gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly sand, extremely gravelly loamy sand.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, mostly gravel.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Silica cementation: Continuous brittle matrix is common in most pedons. Discontinuous lenses of strong cementation is common in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. .

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dugchip soils are on fan piedmont remnants. These soils formed in loess and volcanic ash over alluvium derived from mixed rocks, including igneous and sedimentary rocks. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations are 1,280 to 1,770 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The 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 Adelaide, Bliss, Enko and Rebel series. Adelaide soils are shallow to duripan. Bliss soils lack natric horizons. Enko and Rebel soils have cambic horizons and lack duripans.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Irrigated cropland, rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, spiny hopsage, Thurber needlegrass, Indian ricegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail and rabbitbrush. Irrigated areas presently grow small grains, potatoes and alfalfa hay.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt County, Nevada, East Part. 1993.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to 18 cm (A1, A2 and part of the Bw horizons).
Natric horizon - The zone from 46 to 79 cm (2Btnkqb horizon).
Indurated duripan - The zone from 79 to 99 cm (2Bqkmb horizon).
Xeric feature - The soil moisture regime and the organic carbon content meets the requirements of xeric.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 46 to 79 cm (2Btnkqb horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.