LOCATION ESSAL                   NV+UT

Established Series
Rev. SES-DD-RLB-JBF
05/2016

ESSAL SERIES

The Essal series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in unconsolidated lacustrine sediments derived from mixed rocks. The Essal soils are on lakeplains and basin floor remnants. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Essal loamy fine sand--rangeland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loamy fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate very thin and thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 cm thick)

A2--5 to 15 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate very thin and thin platy structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine vesicular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

C1--15 to 25 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine vesicular and few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

C2--25 to 46 cm; light gray (5Y 7/2) silt loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; many fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist relict mottles; weak medium and thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; common (2 percent) fine filaments of gypsum; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

2C3--46 to 86 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) stratified very fine sand, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam and silt loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist many fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist relict mottles; massive; soft and slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few (1 percent)fine filaments of gypsum; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (30 to 50 cm thick)

2C4--86 to 107 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) stratified fine sand and loamy fine sand, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; common fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist relict mottles; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

2C5--107 to 152 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) fine sand, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; thin strata (less than 1/2 mm thickness) of very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist relict redox concentrations; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)

TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, Nevada; approximately 25 miles northwest of Winnemucca in Desert Valley, about 745 feet east and 745 feet north of the southwest corner of section 6, T. 37 N., R. 34 E.; USGS Lay Waterhole 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 6 minutes 27 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 12 minutes 50 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.1075000 latitude, -118.2138889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist for brief periods in November to May, Dry June to October; aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C.
Profile reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Depth to contrasting fine sand and loamy fine sand: 76 to 99 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay: upper part averages 5 to 18 percent, the lower part (2C horizons) averages 2 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent:

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6.
Texture: Stratified silt loam, very fine sandy loam; thin strata of loamy very fine sand, very fine sand and fine sandy loam are common in some pedons. The very fine sand fraction averages 51 to 85 percent.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent.
Structure: Weak or moderate platy or is massive.
Relict redox concentrations: Common or many in the lower subhorizons. Present in upper subhorizons of some pedons.
Other features: Gypsum as soft filaments and masses is common in any subhorizon.

2C horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6.
Texture: Stratified fine sand or loamy fine sand; thin strata of silt loam to very fine sand are common in the lower part of some pedons.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent.
Structure: Massive or single grained.
Relict redox concentrations: Common or many.
Other features: Gypsum as soft filaments and masses is common in any subhorizon.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Essal soils are on lake plains and basin floor remnants. These soils formed in unconsolidated lacustrine sediments derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 1,220 to 1,405 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm, mean annual temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 100 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cresal, Hawsley and Isolde series. All soils lack a contrasting particle-size control section. Cresal soils also have durinodes and silica cemented lenses. Hawsley and Isolde soils are also sandy throughout the profile.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly shadscale, black greasewood, Indian ricegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 27.

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 layer from the soil surface to 18 cm (A1, A2 and part of the C horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (C2, 2C3 and part of the 3C4 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.