LOCATION GAMGEE NV

Established Series
Rev. DJM/EWB/JVC
11/2016

GAMGEE SERIES

The Gamgee series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Gamgee soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Haplic Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Gamgee gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 3 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 25 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 3 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 8 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; very few very fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular and common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

Btkn1--8 to 20 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, very friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds and bridging sand grains; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine filaments; matrix is slightly effervescent in spots; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Btkn2--20 to 30 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds and bridging sand grains and few distinct clay films on faces of peds; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine filaments; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Btkn3--30 to 61 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; secondary carbonates segregated as many fine filaments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 36 cm thick)

Bk1--61 to 79 cm; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine filaments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

Bk2--79 to 140 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine masses; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (38 to 76 cm thick)

Btkb--140 to 152 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine filaments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Churchill County, Nevada; about 14 miles southwest of Fallon near the Dead Camel Mountains; approximately 1,300 feet west and 1,620 feet south of the projected northeast corner of section 7, T. 17 N., R. 27 E.; USGS Salt Cave 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 21 minutes 10.7 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 59 minutes 34.6 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.3529722 latitude, -118.992944 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry from mid-May through November; intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days (cumulative) between July and September; typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C.
Depth to base of the natric horizon: 50 to 76 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline; thin A horizons in some pedons is neutral or slightly alkaline.
Other features: The buried Btk horizon is not present in some pedons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent, with 35 to 45 percent clay in a thin subhorizon within the upper part of the natric horizon; Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel.

Btkn horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay loam or loam.
Structure: Fine to coarse prismatic parting to subangular blocky.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 10 to 12 in more than half of the natric horizon and 13 to 45 in the remainder of the horizon.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent.

Bk horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent, predominantly gravel.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 45.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Bango series. Bango soils have depth to the base of the natric horizon of 15 to 50 cm and have less than 35 percent clay in all subhorizons of the natric horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gamgee soils are on fan remnants. They formed in alluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 1341 to 1585 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 9 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hawsley and Pirouette soils. Hawsley soils are sandy, do not have diagnostic subsurface horizons, and occur on sand sheets. Pirouette soils are loamy-skeletal, have natric horizons, and are shallow to a duripan.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained and moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Gamgee soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Bailey greasewood, shadscale, bud sagebrush, galleta, and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 5,800 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lyon County Area, Nevada, 1981.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 8 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Natric horizon - The zone from 8 to 61 cm (Btkn1, Btkn2, and Btkn3 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 8 to 152 cm (Btkn1, Btkn2, Btkn3, Bk1, Bk2, and Btkb horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 58 cm (Btkn1 and Btkn2 horizons and part of the Btkn3 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: SAR determined by field tests.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.