LOCATION GRALEY                  NV

Established Series
Rev. BJS-RLB-JVC-JBF
03/2016

GRALEY SERIES

The Graley series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from mixed rocks. Graley soils are on hills, mountains, and plateaus. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Aridic Lithic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Graley very gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partially covered by approximately 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles.

A1--0 to 2 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 18 cm thick)

A2--2 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

Bt--18 to 36 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; many fine and medium interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; common distinct clay films on faces of ped, lining pores, and on rock fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 28 cm thick)

R--36 cm; unweathered, fractured chert.

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; about 30 miles southeast of Battle Mountain; approximately 1,500 feet east and 2,100 feet south of the northwest corner of section 14, T. 30 N., R. 46 E.; USGS Mount Lewis 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 28 minutes 24 seconds north and longitude 116 degrees 46 minutes 10 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.4733333 latitude, -116.7694444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry mid-July through late October; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 5 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm, does not include the Bt horizon.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm to a lithic contact.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

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

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Consistence: Nonplastic or slightly plastic wet.
Organic matter content: 1 to 4 percent.

Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay loam or very gravelly clay.
Structure: Fine or medium angular blocky or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Very hard or hard, dry; friable to firm moist, moderately sticky or very sticky moist; moderately plastic or very plastic wet.
Clay films: Common to many, faint or distinct.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Canest, Chen, and Douhide series.

Canest soils are 13 to 25 cm deep to lithic contacts and horizon textures are dominated by cobbles. Chen soils have an abrupt boundary between the A and Bt horizons and the mollic epipedon includes the upper part of the argillic horizon. Douhide soils have predominantly prismatic structure and are dominated by cobbles in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Graley soils are on hills, mountains, and plateaus. They typically occur on all slope positions. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from mixed rocks including quartzite, argillite, andesite, shale, slate, chert, and rhyolite. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 1,680 to 2,780 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 400 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bregar, Cleavage, Loncan, and Slaven soils. Bregar and Cleavage soils are loamy-skeletal. Loncan soils are loamy-skeletal and are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Slaven soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Graley soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Thurber's needlegrass, basin wildrye, mountain big sagebrush, and antelope bitterbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. The series type location is in MLRA 24, while the main acreage occurs in MLRAs 25 and 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt County (Northwest Part), Nevada, 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 18 to 36 cm (Bt horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 36 cm to hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 18 to 36 cm (Bt horizon).

Classification was updated to 11th edition on 07/2011 changed Lithic Argixerolls to Aridic Lithic Argixerolls.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.