LOCATION ENTERO                  NV

Established Series
Rev: TM/JBF/WED
06/2016

ENTERO SERIES

The Entero series consists of very shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from siltstone and related rocks. Entero soils are on hills and mountain slopes. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C.

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Entero very channery loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very channery loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine to medium vesicular and interstitial pores; 50 percent channers, 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

Bt1--5 to 18 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine to coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay film lining pores and on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles are about equal amounts of flat, elongated fragments and angular compact fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

Bt2--18 to 25 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 60 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; gravel and cobbles are about equal amounts of flat, elongated fragments and angular compact fragments; retains about 60 percent rock structure; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Cr--25 cm; fractured siltstone, few fine medium roots in fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Esmeralda County, Nevada, west of Indian Springs; about 1,300 feet south and 2,200 feet west of the northeast corner of section 25, T. 2 S., R. 41 E.; USGS Montezuma Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 37 degrees 44 minutes 25 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 19 minutes 25 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 37.7402778 latitude, -117.3236111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and early spring months, dry in summer and fall except for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 15 degrees C.
Depth to soft rock: 13 to 36 cm.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 55 percent, mainly channers and angular gravel.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2, or 3.

Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 6.
Texture: Averages clay loam, subhorizon of loam or clay is common.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Structure: Subangular blocky or granular.
Other features - Carbonate and silica pendants on rock fragments are in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Abalan, Alcan, Armoine, Berit, Bouncer, Flex, Ginex, Harvan, Penelas, Ravenell, Sedsked, Soar, Stodick and Zyzzi series.

Abalan and Ginex soils have secondary carbonates in the argillic horizon. Alcan, Armoine and Bouncer soils have less than 25 percent clay in the control section. Berit, Flex, Sedsked, Soar and Stodick soils are not moist for 10 to 20 days in the summer. Also, Berit and Flex soils are slightly acid or neutral. Harvan soils a densic layer. Stodick soils are 36 to 50 cm to soft rock. Penelas soils have more than 60 percent rock fragments. Ravenell soils have a sandy clay or clay Bt horizon. Zyzzi soils have 50 to 75 percent rock fragments mainly 2 to 5 mm in size, more than 45 percent sand, and a sandy clay loam Bt horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Entero soils are very shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium from siltstone and related rocks. Entero soils are on hills and mountain slopes. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,770 to 2,380 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm; the mean annual temperature is 11 to 14 degrees C., and the frost-free season is 100 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Rodad, Slatery and Ubehebe and the competing Penelas soils. Rodad and Slatery soils lack moisture regimes bordering on xeric. Slatery soils also lack an argillic horizon. Ubehebe soils have a mollic epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, rapid runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation includes Wyoming big sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, galleta, Nevada ephedra, Mexican cliffrose and scattered juniper and Joshua trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 29.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County, Nevada, 1984.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 5 cm (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 5 to 25 cm (Bt1, Bt2 horizons).
Xeric Intergrades - Meets the organic carbon requirement for xeric.
Paralithic contact - The contact at about 25 cm (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A, Bt1, Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.