LOCATION HOCAR                   NV

Established Series
Rev. DMC/ELS/JBF
03/2017

HOCAR SERIES

The Hocar series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from metasedimentary rocks. The Hocar soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Calcidic Haploxerolls

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

Oi--0 to 3; pine litter. (0 to 8 cm thick)

A1--3 to 11 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; 30 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--11 to 21 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium, and few coarse roots; 30 percent gravel, slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 13 cm thick)

C--21 to 46 cm; gray (10YR 6/1) very gravelly loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; massive; slightly hard very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium, and few coarse roots; 50 percent gravel; many fine light gray (10YR 7/1) lime filaments and coatings on gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (13 to 28 cm thick)

Cr--46 to 61 cm; soft metasedimentary rock; rock interior noncalcareous, rock crevices strongly effervescent; few fine roots in cracks.

TYPE LOCATION: Carson City, Nevada; about 5 miles east and 3 miles south of Carson City, Nevada; appropriately 1,320 feet west and 2,600 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 25, T. 15 N., R. 20 E.; USGS New Empire 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 08 minutes 07 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 40 minutes 55 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.1352778 latitude, -119.6819444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry most of the time in summer and autumn; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to paralithic contact: 18 to 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Average 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 40 to 85 percent.

A horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3.

C horizon:
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist,
Chroma: 1 through 4.

Cr horizon
Soft and the upper 8 to 18 cm are fractured.

COMPETING SERIES: These are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hocar soils are on slopes of mountains at 1,680 to 1,985 meters elevation. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Rock outcrop is common. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from metasedimentary rocks. The climate is arid, continental having an annual precipitation of 250 to 360 mm, mostly as snow. The average annual temperature is 8 to 11 degrees C. The frost-free season is 100 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Sutro and Yoontz soils. Sutro soils are deep. Koontz soils have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: well drained; rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Primary uses are wildlife habitat, recreation, and as a source of fence posts, Christmas trees and firewood. The vegetation is principally pinyon pine and juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Hocar soils are in western Nevada and are of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Carson City Area, Nevada, 1975.

Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 3 to 21 cm (A1 and A2 horizons)
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 46 cm (Cr layer).
Particle size control section - The zone from 28 to 46 cm (part of the C1 horizon).

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.