LOCATION FAX NV

Established Series
Rev. GM/PWB/JVC
11/2016

FAX SERIES

The Fax series consists of moderately deep to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from andesite or quartzite. Fax soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 350 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Argidic Durixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Fax very gravelly coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered by approximately 15 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; 30 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--8 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine through coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; few faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)

Bt2--18 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; few faint clay films lining pores; lower 5 cm is effervescent in spots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Bk--30 to 56 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; few fine secondary calcium carbonate masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (25 to 36 cm thick)

Bkqm--56 to 122 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) cemented material, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; extremely hard, slightly rigid; strongly cemented by silica and secondary carbonates; very cobbly and stony; thin strata and pockets of very cobbly loamy coarse sand; few fine roots in sandy strata and pockets.

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; about 19 miles south of Ely; approximately 1,700 feet west and 100 feet south of the northeast corner of section 30, T. 13 N., R. 64 E.; USGS White Rock Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 58 minutes 1 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 49 minutes 26 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.9669444 latitude, -114.8238889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist late winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 36 cm; includes part or all of the argillic horizon.
Depth to duripan: 50 to 91 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 20 to 35 percent;
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent. Lithology of fragments is andesite or quartzite.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very cobbly or very gravelly sandy clay loam or clay loam.
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 30 to 55 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones.
Structure: Moderate fine and medium subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard, dry.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent in the material less than 2mm.

Bk horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly or very cobbly sandy clay loam or coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 14 to 28 percent.
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 percent total, 30 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 30 percent cobbles and 0 to 20 percent stones.
Structure: Massive or weak medium subangular blocky.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent in the less than 2 mm fraction.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fax soils are on fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from andesite or quartzite. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,760 to 2,380 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 350 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Broland and Yody soils. Both Broland and Yody have ochric epipedons.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Fax soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, Nevada bluegrass, Indian ricegrass and slender wheatgrass. Many areas are invaded by singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada 1990.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 30 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Strongly cemented duripan - The zone from 56 to 122 cm (Bkqm horizon).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 30 to 122 cm (Bk and Bkqm horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 30 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.