LOCATION GRANIPEAK NV

Established Series
Rev. EWB-WED-JVC-JBF
12/2019

GRANIPEAK SERIES

The Granipeak series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from granitic rocks. Granipeak soils are on mountains. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 430 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Granipeak very bouldery coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 25 percent boulders, 10 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel.

A--0 to 20 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very bouldery coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common medium and coarse roots, many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 30 percent boulders, 5 percent cobbles, and 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

Bt1--20 to 38 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint and few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 33 cm thick)

Bt2--38 to 104 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very stony sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine through coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films lining pores; 30 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (50 to 100 cm thick)

Cr--104 cm; weathered granite.

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; in the Granite Range about 1.5 miles north-northeast of Granite Peak; approximately 2,200 feet south and 1,000 feet east of the northwest corner of section 30, T. 34 N., R. 23 E.; USGS The Banjo 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 48 minutes 18 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 25 minutes 29 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.8050000 latitude, -119.4247222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer; dry from mid-July through early October; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 30 to 46 cm; includes the Bt1 horizon.
Depth to bedrock: 100 to 150 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered granitic rock such as granite.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Sand content: 50 to 70 percent, mainly medium through very coarse sand.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly stones. Lithology of fragments is granitic rock such as granite and granodiorite.

A horizon
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.

Bt horizons
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very stony coarse sandy loam or very stony sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 2 percent; below 20 inches the organic matter content drops below 1 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Belate, Burnborough, Closkey, Devils, Gowjai, Jivas, Millan, Sumine, and Torro series.

Belate and Burnborough soils are very deep, have less than 50 percent sand in the particle-size control section, and have rock fragments that are dominantly gravel-size. Closkey soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts, are dominated by gravel in the particle-size control section and are intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days cumulative in summer months due to convection storms. Devils soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts, are dominated by gravel, and have less than 50 percent sand in the particle-size control section. Gowjai soils are deep to lithic contacts, have a horizon with durinodes, and average 25 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Jivas soils are deep to lithic contacts, are dominated by gravel, and have 60 to 75 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Millan soils are very deep, are dominated by gravel, and have 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Sumine soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Torro soils are very deep and are dominated by gravel.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Granipeak soils are on mountains. They typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from granitic rocks. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 2,135 to 2,750 meters. The climate is semiarid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 460 mm, the mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Hastee soil. Hastee soils are sandy-skeletal, have thick Mollic epipedons and a cryic temperature regime.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Granipeak soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, snowberry, bluebunch wheatgrass, and lupine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 2,200 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 23.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County, Nevada (Central Part), 1990.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 38 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 20 to 104 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 104 cm to underlying weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 20 to 70 cm (Bt1 and part of the Bt2 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.