LOCATION FETTIC NV

Established Series
Rev. DMC-ELS-JVC-JBF-GAM
04/2017

FETTIC SERIES

The Fettic series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Fettic soils are on low stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Natrixerolls

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

A--0 to 10 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abupt smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Btn-- 10 to 30 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; strong fine and medium prismatic parts to strong fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many very fine to medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; common faint clay films on surfaces along pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

Btnk-- 30 to 51 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; strong fine and medium prismatic parts to strong fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; many medium roots and common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; very few faint clay films on surfaces along pores; few fine carbonate masses; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 40 cm thick)

C1-- 51 to 114 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots in pockets; common fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (50 to 70 cm thick)

C2-- 114 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; in Cold Springs Valley near White Lake; about 1,200 feet south and 680 feet east of the northwest corner of section 21, T. 21 N., R. 18 E.; USGS Reno NW 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 40 minutes 32.5 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 58 minutes 34 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.6756944 latitude, -119.9761111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in the moisture control section in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 12 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 36 cm, includes the Btn horizon.
Depth to horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates: 18 to 36 cm.
Depth to base of natric horizon: 41 to 81 cm.
Other features: An abrupt horizon boundary is normally present between the A horizon and Btn horizon accompanied by an abrupt increase in clay content of more than 20 percent.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: averages 27 to 35 percent.
Sand content: less than 35 percent with less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser.

A horizon
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 5 to 90.

Btn horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay loam or clay.
Structure: Strong, fine or medium prismatic or columnar.
Clay content: 35 to 42 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 31 to 90.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.

Btnk horizon
Texture: Clay loam or loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Structure: Weak to strong, fine or medium prismatic which may part to subangular blocky.
Reaction: Very strongly alkaline (pH 9.1 to 10.0).
Salinity (EC): 8 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 31 to 130.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as few or common, fine or medium masses or filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur as few or common, faint to prominent, masses or iron and manganese accumulation.

C horizons
Texture: Fine sand, very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam or silty clay.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).
Salinity (EC): 2 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 0 to 90.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur as few to many, faint to prominent, masses or iron and manganese accumulation. Redox deletions may also occur as zones of iron depletion below 100 cm.
Other features: Some pedons have subhorizons of gravelly materials below 122 cm.

COMPETING SERIES: At present, there are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fettic soils are on low stream terraces. The terraces are dissected by many deep drainage channels and sloughs. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,370 to 1,560 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation 200 to 250 mm, mean annual temperature is 8 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dangberg, Godecke, and Ormsby soils. Dangberg soils are fine, moderately deep to duripans, and have ochric epipedons. Godecke soils are fine-loamy and have ochric epipedons. Ormsby soils are sandy, do not have natric horizons, and have ochric epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; very high surface runoff; very slow permeability in the subsoil and moderately rapid to rapid permeability in the substratum; low saturated hydraulic conductivity. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 104 and 152 cm (deep free water occurrence class) from December through May. Cumulative annual duration classes are Common or Persistent. These soils are susceptible to occasional flooding for brief periods between December and March.

USE AND VEGETATION: Fettic soils are used mainly for livestock grazing. The vegetation is inland saltgrass, black greasewood, basin big sagebrush, rubber rabbitbrush, alkali sacaton, beardless wildrye, and basin wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County (Carson Valley Area), Nevada, 1975.

REMARKS: The 4/2000 revision updated the taxonomic subgroup from Aquic Natrargids to Aridic Natrixerolls.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (A and Btn horizons).
Natric horizon - The zone from 10 to 51 cm (Btn and Btk horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 30 to 51 cm (Btk horizon).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 104 and 152 cm at certain times during normal years (part of the C1 and C2 horizons).
Particle size control section - The zone from 10 to 30 cm (Btn horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: The type location was moved to Washoe County, NV to better reflect the series concept.
User Pedon ID: 2006NV031034.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.