LOCATION FENSTER                 NV+CO

Established Series
Rev. RAF/RLB/JBF
11/2016

FENSTER SERIES

The Fenster series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in alluvium derived from highly calcareous source materials and loess. Fenster soils are on flood plains, footslopes, toeslopes, and inset fans. Slopes are 0 to 12 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 45 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Typic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Fenster silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted)

A1--0 to 5 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium and thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many fine vesicular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 15 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure, parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

C1--15 to 33 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and fine roots; common fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

C2--33 to 51 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial and tubular pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual smooth boundary. (18 to 43 cm thick)

C3--51 to 119 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial and tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (30 to 76 cm thick)

C4--119 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; approximately 22 miles southwest of Eureka; about 2,100 feet west and 500 feet north of the southeast corner of section 28, T. 17 N., R. 51 E.; USGS West of Bellevue Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 18 minutes 40 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 13 minutes 53 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.3111111 latitude, -116.2313889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescence or violently effervescence, some pedons have slightly effervescent surface.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.

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

C horizon
2.5Y through 10YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6.
Texture: Silt loam or silty clay loam with some pedons having subhorizons of fine sandy loam or loam below 100 cm. Some pedons have subhorizons of very fine sandy loam textured volcanic ash within 100 cm. Some pedons have relict mottles within 100 cm.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Eastmore and Molion series.

Eastmore and Molion soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fenster soils are on flood plains, footslopes, toeslopes, and inset fans. These soils formed in alluvium derived from highly calcareous source materials and loess. Slopes are 0 to 12 percent. Elevations are 1,830 to 2,200 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm; mean annual temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dianev, Hayeston, Jesse Camp, Kobeh, Poorcal, and Silverado soils. Dianev soils are fine-loamy. Hayeston, Poorcal, and Silverado soils are coarse-loamy. Jesse Camp soils are noneffervescent or slightly effervescent in their A and Bw horizons, have more than 0.5 percent organic matter in the surface layer and have segregated carbonate in the Bk horizon. Kobeh soils are loamy-skeletal.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly winterfat. Shadscale and bud sagebrush are on this soil in areas that lack a shallow overflow of water.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-Central Nevada and North Western Colorado. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, 1983.

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 C1 horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (the C2 and parts of the C1 and C3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.