LOCATION GARFAN                  NV

Established Series
Rev. SEG/CPH/PWB/JBF
11/2016

GARFAN SERIES

The Garfan series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from quartzite on fan remnants, partial ballenas and to a limited extent from colluvium on mountain side slopes. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 600 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Xeric Paleargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Garfan very gravelly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered by approximately 70 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 15 percent stones.

A--0 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)

2Bt1--20 to 43 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely gravelly clay, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots matted on ped faces; few very fine tubular pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 50 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 46 cm thick)

2Bt2--43 to 69 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely cobbly clay, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots matted on ped faces; few very fine tubular pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 50 percent gravel and 35 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 46 cm thick)

2Bt3--69 to 152 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; lenses of extremely gravelly sandy clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots matted on ped faces; few very fine interstitial pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; approximately 4 miles northeast of Parker Station in Cave Valley; about 600 feet north and 3,900 feet east of the southeast corner of section 34, T. 10 N., R. 64 E.; USGS Parker Station 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 41 minutes and 30 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 46 minutes and 32 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.6916667 latitude, -114.7755556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist from late fall through spring dry summer through fall; xeric soil moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to upper boundary of argillic horizon: 13 to 23 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 90 percent.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Moderate platy or subangular blocky.

2Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Upper part is extremely cobbly clay or extremely cobbly clay loam. Lower part is extremely gravelly clay or extremely gravelly clay loam.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: Upper part is 40 to 55 percent gravel and 20 to 35 percent cobbles and stones. Lower part is 40 to 60 percent gravel and 5 to 25 percent cobbles and stones. Total always averages greater than 60 percent.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Garfan soils are dominantly on fan remnants and partial ballenas, although they are also found in localized areas on mountain side slopes. These soils are formed in alluvium (and colluvium on hills) derived from quartzite. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations are 2,000 to 2,620 meters. The climate is cool, semi-arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 360 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hutchley and McIvey series. Hutchley soils are in a loamy-skeletal family, are shallow to hard bedrock, and have mollic epipedons. McIvey soils have mollic epipedons.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Garfan soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass and Thurbers needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East Central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, West Part, 1988.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 20 cm (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 20 to 152 cm (2Bt1, 2Bt2 and 2Bt3 horizons).
Xeric Intergrades - Meets organic carbon requirement for xeric (A horizon).
Abrupt textural change at 20 cm.
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 20 to 70 cm (2Bt1, 2Bt2 and the upper part of the 2Bt3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.