LOCATION GRAUFELS                NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. OWB/JVC/JBF
03/2017

GRAUFELS SERIES

The Graufels series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rocks. Graufels soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 4 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Torripsammentic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Graufels gravelly sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) .) The soil surface is covered with 20 percent gravel and 3 percent boulders.

A1--0 to 8 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 3 percent boulders and 20 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

A2--8 to 25 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, and common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)

C--25 to 56 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and medium interstitial and few very fine and medium tubular pores; very few faint clay films coating and bridging sand grains; 25 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 76 cm thick)

Cr--56 cm; highly weathered granodiorite; can be dug with relative ease with hand tools.

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; in Washoe Valley east of Washoe Lake; approximately 820 feet west and 750 feet north of the southeast corner of section 30, T. 17 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Washoe City 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 18 minutes 17 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 46 minutes 25 seconds W; latitude 39.30472, longitude -119.77361, WGS 84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring; dry from June through mid-November; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 36 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered granitic rock.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Average 3 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: Some pedons have strata with up to 35 percent rock fragments that are dominantly smaller than 5 mm in diameter.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Weak medium or fine subangular blocky or structureless that is massive or single grain.
Consistence: Loose or soft when dry.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.

C horizon
Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Sand, loamy sand, gravelly coarse sand, or gravelly loamy coarse sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fordney and Mottsville series.

Fordney and Mottsville soils are deeper than 150 cm to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Graufels soils are on hills and mountains. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rocks. Slopes are 4 to 60 percent. Elevations range from 1,375 to 1,985 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 8 to 12 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 80 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Acrelane, Glenbrook, and Luppino soils. Acrelane and Luppino soils have argillic horizons. Glenbrook have ochric epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low or low surface runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Graufels soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is principally Wyoming big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Anderson's peachbrush, Indian ricegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and scattered pine trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County (South Part), Nevada, 1980.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 56 cm to underlying weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 69 cm (C horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: User Pedon ID: 2006NV031046.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.