LOCATION GRIMLAKE                NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. JBF/TM-JVC
12/2019

GRIMLAKE SERIES

The Grimlake series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from basalt, andesite, and tuff. Grimlake soils are on alluvial flats and lake plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 330 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Aquic Haploxererts

TYPICAL PEDON: Grimlake cobbly clay--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted). Vertical cracks 1.2 to 5.0 cm wide extend from the soil surface to a depth of 56 cm.

A1--0 to 5 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) cobbly clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium and coarse angular blocky; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many pressure faces;; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bss--13 to 36 cm; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many pressure faces; many 5.0 to 10.0 cm wedge-shaped aggregates; common 2.5 to 8.0 cm slickensides; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 36 cm thick)

Bkss1--36 to 56 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many pressure faces; many 1.2 to 5.0 cm slickensides; many 1.2 to 2.5 cm wedge shaped aggregates; 3 percent 2 to 10 millimeter carbonate masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 36 cm thick)

Bkss2--56 to 71 cm; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong coarse angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common 1.2 to 2.5 cm wedge-shaped aggregates; few 1.2 to 5.0 cm slickensides; common fine distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist redox concentrations; 10 percent 2 to 20 millimeter carbonate masses; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 36 cm thick)

Bkss3--71 to 81 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common 1.2 to 2.5 cm wedge-shaped aggregates; few 1.2 to 5.0 cm slickensides; 10 percent gravel; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, few fine distinct black (10YR 2/1) and black (10YR 2/1) moist redox concentrations; 8 percent 2 to 15 millimeter carbonate masses; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary.

2Bk--81 to 110 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; many pressure faces; few 10 to 15 millimeter slickensides; few 5 to 10 millimeter wedge-shaped aggregates; 10 percent gravel; common fine distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, few fine distinct black (10YR 2/1) and black (10YR 2/1) moist redox concentrations; 10 percent 2 to 5 millimeter carbonate masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.

3Bkq--110 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very cobbly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many pressure faces; 25 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; 1 percent 1 to 5 millimeter carbonate masses; upper surface of rock fragments have 1 to 2 millimeter thick carbonate coats; few 1 to 2 millimeter thick silica coats on bottoms of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; near Pilgrim Lake about 0.25 mile north of Buckhorn Road and 0.5 mile east of the California-Nevada state line; approximately 2,250 feet east and 1,700 feet south of the northwest corner of section 29, T. 35 N., R. 18 E.; USGS Burnt Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 52 minutes 55.68 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 59 minutes 27.27 seconds west longitude; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.8864778 latitude, -119.9901806 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry in the soil moisture control section; moist in winter and spring, dry summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Aquic conditions - Saturated within a depth of71 to 100 cm in winter and spring in most years.
Mean annual soil temperature - 6.1 to .38 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature - 16.1 to 17.2 degrees C.
Depth to secondary carbonates - 30 to 100 cm.
Other features - When dry, vertical cracks 1.2 to 10 cm wide extend from the soil surface to a depth of 50 to 75 cm or more. The cracks are closed in winter and spring.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 40 to 60 percent


A horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 through 3.5 moist.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.


Bss horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Structure: Prismatic or angular blocky.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent.
Vertic features: Common or many slickensides and wedge-shaped aggregates.


Bkss horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist.
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Prismatic or angular blocky.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 2 to 20 millimeter diameter masses.
Vertic features: Few to many slickensides and wedge-shaped aggregates.
Redoximorphic features: None to common distinct redox concentrations.


2Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy clay loam or clay loam.
Clay content: 30 to 39 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent, mainly basalt gravel.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 0.5 to 10 millimeter diameter masses in most pedons.


3Bkq horizon (and 3Bk horizon when present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very cobbly clay loam, very cobbly sandy clay loam, or very gravelly sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 30 to 39 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly basalt cobbles and gravel with 3 to 10 percent stones.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 0.5 to 10 millimeter diameter masses in most pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other soils in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grimlake soils are on alluvial flats and lake plains. They formed in alluvium derived from basalt, andesite, and tuff. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 5,180 to 7,100 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 360 mm, the mean annual temperature is 5.6 to 6.7 degreesC., and the frost-free period is 60 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Boulder Lake, Ninemile, and Weimer soils. Boulder Lake and Weimer soils have aquic conditions above 50 cm, do not have very cobbly textures in the substratum, and are on concave lower lake plains and basins. Ninemile soils are shallow to hard rock and are on plateaus and hills.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; very slow runoff; moderately low or moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. A perched seasonal water table is at 70 to 100 cm (above the 3Bkq horizon) from January to April in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Grimlake soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly Nevada bluegrass, rush, and silver sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are not extensive with about 1,800 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 23.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area, California and Nevada, 2006. The name is coined from nearby Pilgrim Lake.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 71 cm (A1, A2, Bss, Bkss1, and Bkss2 horizons).
Vertical cracks - The zone from the soil surface to 56 cm (A1, A2, Bss, and Bkss1 horizons).
Slickensides and wedge-shaped aggregates - The zone from 13 to 81 cm (Bss, Bkss1, Bkss2, and Bkss3 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 36 to 152 cm (Bkss1, Bkss2, Bkss3, 2Bk, and 3Bkq horizons).

Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bkss1, Bkss2, and Bkss3 horizons and part of the Bss 2Bk horizons).

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.