LOCATION FALLON NV

Established Series
Rev. LNL-ELS-JVC-JBF
05/2016

FALLON SERIES

The Fallon series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Fallon soils are on flood plains and low stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Oxyaquic Torrifluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Fallon fine sandy loam--irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 36 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and many fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 41 cm thick)

Ck1--36 to 46 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial and common fine and very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as common very fine light gray (10YR 7/2) masses; noneffervescent matrix and strongly effervescent masses; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), common fine faint dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), and common fine distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Ck2--46 to 61 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine, and few fine tubular, and many very fine interstitial pores; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine light gray (10YR 7/2) filaments; slightly effervescent matrix and strongly effervescent threads; many fine distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) and few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 41 cm thick)

C--61 to 81 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; many coarse distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) and few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

Ck3--81 to 122 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly coarse sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine and medium light gray (10YR 7/2) masses; noneffervescent matrix and strongly effervescent masses; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (18 to 51 cm thick)

2Ck4--122 to 152 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine light gray (10YR 7/2) masses; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Churchill County, Nevada; in the Lahontan Valley about one mile south of Fallon on the University of Nevada Experiment Station; approximately 2,400 feet east and 1,800 feet south of the northwest corner of section 6, T. 18 N., R. 29 E.; USGS Fallon 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 27 minutes 19.7 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 46 minutes 23.5 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal 39.4554722 Degrees latitude, -118.773194 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry unless irrigated; under natural conditions these soils are moist in the moisture control section in winter and early spring, dry in late spring through fall; aridic (torric) soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C.
Depth to redoximorphic features: 38 to 61 cm.
Reaction: Neutral through strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 5 to 15 percent;
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.

Ap horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Salinity (EC): 0 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 0 to 30.

Ck and C horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified sand to silt loam averaging sandy loam or fine sandy loam; some pedons have stratified clay to coarse sand below 102 cm.
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent gravel.
Salinity (EC): 0 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 0 to 12.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent through violently effervescent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs in some pedons as masses or filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur as few to many masses of iron accumulation and have hue of 5YR through 10YR and chroma of 2 through 6.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Fortsage series. Fortsage soils have mean annual soil temperature of 11 to 12 degrees C.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fallon soils are on flood plains and low stream terraces. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,158 to 1,463 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 11 to 13 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 110 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dithod, East Fork, Fernley, and Sagouspe soils. Dithod and East Fork soils are fine-loamy and have mollic epipedons. Fernley and Sagouspe soils are sandy.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderately rapid permeability; high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 90 and 150 cm (moderately deep and deep free water occurrence classes) from April through September. Cumulative annual duration classes are Common or Persistent. Some areas may have high water tables within 50 cm of the soil surface in depositional areas as a result of extensive irrigation and a lack of subsurface drainage. Some phases are susceptible to rare flooding for brief periods year-round or frequent flooding for long periods between March and November.

USE AND VEGETATION: Fallon soils are used for irrigated cropland, urban development, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. The principal crops are alfalfa hay, alfalfa-grass pasture, small grains, corn for silage, and some fruits and vegetables. The vegetation in rangeland is mainly rubber rabbitbrush, black greasewood, and inland saltgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Churchill County (Fallon-Fernley Area) Nevada, 1960.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (part of the Ap horizon).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zones from 36 to 61 cm and 81 to 152 cm (Ck1, Ck2, Ck3, and 2Ck4 horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 91 to 152 cm at certain times during normal years (2Ck4 horizon and part of the Ck3 horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Ck1, Ck2, and C horizons and parts of the Ap and Ck3 horizons).

A revision in March 2000 corrected the type location and updated the taxonomic subgroup from Aquic Xerofluvents to Oxyaquic Torrifluvents.

ADDITIONAL DATA: A pedon of Fallon has full characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE as user pedon ID 99NV001004 (pedon # 00P0242).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.