LOCATION GOLCONDA                NV

Established Series
Rev. RMW/MJZ/DD/JBF
01/2019

GOLCONDA SERIES

The Golconda series consists of moderately deep to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a mantle of loess high in volcanic ash. The Golconda soils are on fan piedmonts. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 180 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Natrargidic Natridurids

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

A1--0 to 8 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine vesicular and many very fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

A2--8 to 18 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

BA--18 to 25 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 23 cm thick)

Btkn--25 to 58 cm; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium and common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and many very fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds and in pores; common fine lime threads, and common large soft lime masses; 15 percent gravel, some with moderately thick lime coats on the underside; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 56 cm thick)

Bqkm--58 to 91 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) strongly cemented duripan, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; few very fine roots in fractures; 45 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 50 cm thick)

Bqk--91 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/4) weakly silica-carbonate cemented very gravelly loamy coarse sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 55 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Pershing County, Nevada; approximately 30 miles south of Winnemucca; about 1,200 feet west and 2,500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 19 T. 32 N., R. 39 E.; USGS Clear Creek Ranch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 38 minutes 01 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 37 minutes 47 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.6336111 latitude, -117.6297222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry from May through October; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to duripan: 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to segregated carbonates: 20 to 43 cm.
Other features: BA and/or BC horizons occur in some pedons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon and BA horizon (when present)
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Btn horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6.
Texture: Gravelly clay loam, clay loam or silty clay loam.
Structure: Prismatic, with subangular blocky common in the lower subhorizons.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.
Other features: Exchangeable sodium percent is 20 to 50. Horizon is noneffervescent in the upper part in some pedons.
Consistence: Hard or very hard, dry; friable to very firm, moist.

Bqk horizons (when present above the duripan)
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6.

Bqkm horizon
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Rock fragments: 5 to 45 percent, mainly gravel.
Structure: Platy, or horizon is massive.
Consistence: Very hard or extremely hard dry, very firm or extremely firm, moist.
Other features: Has discontinuous lenses of indurated material in some pedons.

2Bqk horizon
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6.
Texture: Stratified extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand to very gravelly sandy loam.
Consistence: Slightly hard to very hard, dry.
Other features: Normally has loose to weakly cemented gravel. The gravel is lacking in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Dalzell series. Dalzell soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 11 to 13 degrees C.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Golconda soils are on fan piedmonts. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a mantle of loess high in volcanic ash. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,280 to 1,770 meters. The climate is cool, arid with cool moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 150 to 200 mm, mean annual temperature is 8 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adelaide, Blackhawk, Dun Glen, Misad, Oxcorel, and Tenabo soils. Adelaide, Blackhawk, Dun Glen, and Misad soils do not have a natric horizon. Dun Glen, Misad, and Oxcorel soils do not have a duripan. Tenabo soils have a duripan within a depth of 50 cm.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly shadscale, bud sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24, 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County, Nevada (BLM Sonoma Planning Unit) 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A1, A2 and BA horizons).
Natric horizon - The zone from 25 to 58 cm (Btkn horizon).
Strongly cemented duripan (Haplic) - The zone from about 58 to 91 cm (Bkqm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 58 cm (Btkn horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.