LOCATION GRIFLEYS                NV

Established Series
Rev. JWM/TM/BKP
02/2012

GRIFLEYS SERIES

The Grifleys series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium derived mainly from limestone and quartzite. Grifleys soils are on fan remnants and ballenas. Slopes are 4 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Grifleys gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 8 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; calcium carbonate equivalent is 26 percent; 30 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Bt--8 to 15 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; calcium carbonate equivalent is 31 percent; few faint clay films on ped faces; 15 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 23 cm thick)

Btk1--15 to 36 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; finely disseminated secondary calcium carbonate throughout matrix, common (5 percent) light gray (10YR 7/2) secondary calcium carbonate masses coating faces of peds; calcium carbonate equivalent is 30 percent, few faint clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary.

Btk2--36 to 53 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and few medium interstitial pores; common (5 percent) very pale brown (10YR 7/3) secondary calcium carbonate masses coating faces of peds; calcium carbonate equivalent is 25 percent, few faint clay films on ped faces; 45 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizons is 18 to 48 cm)

Bk1--53 to 86 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; finely disseminated secondary calcium carbonate throughout matrix; calcium carbonate equivalent is 30 percent; 70 percent gravel; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 33 cm thick)

Bk2--86 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; excavation difficulty is very high; finely disseminated secondary calcium carbonates throughout matrix; calcium carbonate equivalent is 24 percent; 70 percent gravel; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3).

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; 6 miles north of Baker, Nevada, 2 miles west of Silver Creek Road; about 1600 feet south and 900 feet east of the northwest corner of section 31, T. 15 N., R. 70 E.; USGS Old Mans Canyon 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 07 minutes 57 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 09 minutes 52 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in winter and spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms; aridic bordering on xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Calcic horizon thickness: 38 to 76 cm.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 40 percent.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.

Bt horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Clay loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel. Some pedons contain sub-horizons that range up to 60 percent rock fragments.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.

Btk horizons
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6.
Texture: Clay loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel. Some pedons contain sub-horizons that range up to 80 percent rock fragments.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.

Bk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 2 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6.
Texture: Clay loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 80 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grifleys soils are on fan remnants and ballenas. These soils formed from mixed alluvium derived mainly from limestone and quartzite. Slopes are 4 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,690 to 2,070 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 12 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Armespan, Jericho, and Summermute soils. Armespan and Summermute soils have durinodes. Jericho soils have a duripan.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:: Well drained, medium runoff, moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Grifleys soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The potential vegetation is mainly black sagebrush, needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, and galleta.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part, 2004.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 8 cm (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - 8 to 53 cm (Bt, Btk1, and Btk2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - 15 to 86 cm (Btk1, Btk2, and Bk1 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 53 cm (Bt, Btk1, Btk2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.