LOCATION HOMESTAKE               NV

Established Series
Rev. LNL/LR/ELS/BKP
11/2016

HOMESTAKE SERIES

The Homestake series consists of very deep, well drained soils on eroded fan remnants that formed in alluvium derived from welded tuff over mixed lacustrine deposits. Slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 325 millimeters and the mean annual temperature is 6.5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Argiduridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Homestake very gravelly sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with approximately 55 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm: grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown(10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; few fine, and many fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--5 to 15 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; many very fine, and few fine, medium, and coarse roots; few fine, and many very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 13 to 25 cm thick)

Bt1--15 to 28 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many very fine and few fine, medium, and coarse roots; few fine, and many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few distinct clay bridges between sand grains and many faint clay films in pores and on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--28 to 38 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure, hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine, and few fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few distinct clay bridges between sand grains and faint continuous clay films in pores and on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 18 to 35 cm thick)

Btk1--38 to 50 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly clay loam; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine, and few fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few distinct clay bridges between sand grains and faint continuous clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 5 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) weathered gravel; 50 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, with common fine and medium distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate concretions on the bottom of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary.

Btk2--50 to 64 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few distinct clay films bridging sand grains and lining pores; 5 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) weathered gravel; 50 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent with many medium and large distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate concretions on the bottom of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Btk horizons is 20 to 36 cm thick)

Bqk--64 to 104 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) weakly cemented extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; few medium, very fine, and fine roots; many very fine interstitial, and few very fine tubular pores; 2 to 5 millimeter discontinuous horizontal silica and calcium carbonate laminae throughout and 5 percent silica concretions on sand grains, as bridges between sand grains, and concretions on the bottom of rock fragments; 50 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (38 to 50 cm thick)

Cq--104 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) and pink (7.5YR 7/4) weakly cemented extremely gravelly loamy sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) and light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine interstitial, and few very fine tubular pores; common fine prominent black (10YR 2/1), and few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist mottles in matrix and on rock fragments; 15 percent 2 to 5 mm thick pale brown (10YR 6/3) silica bridges between sand grains and lining pores; 50 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; noneffervescent, but strongly effervescent in spots; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; at the approximate center of section 7, T.4N., R.69E; USGS Parsnip Peak 7.5 minute quadrangle; 38 degrees 13 minutes 17.9 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees 17 minutes 31 seconds west longitude; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.2216389 latitude, -114.2919444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall except intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days between July and September due to convection storms; xeric soil moisture regime that boarders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 7 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 23 to 40 cm thick.
Depth to pedogenic calcium carbonate: 33 to 50 cm.
Argillic horizon thickness: 38 to 71 cm thick.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonates: 30 to 60 cm.
Depth to a weakly cemented horizon: 50 to 95 cm.
Mineralogy: 5 to 10 percent volcanic glass in the 0.2 to 2 mm fraction.
Carbonate stage development: Stage III.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent clay.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravels. Lithology of fragments is welded tuff.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry and moist.
Mineralogy: 12 to 24 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction and averages 0.01 to 0.09 percent Al plus 1/2Fe, extracted by ammonium oxalate.

Bt horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist.
Texture: clay loam and clay.
Mineralogy: 12 to 20 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction and averages 0.01 to 0.09 percent Al plus 1/2Fe, extracted by ammonium oxalate.
Structure: Moderate or strong, fine or medium subangular blocky structure.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Btk horizons
Hue: 7.5YR and 10YR.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, and 4 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3 dry and moist.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 75 percent mainly cobbles. Some pedons contain sub-horizons that average 45 to 60 percent gravel.
Mineralogy: 12 to 24 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction and averages 0.01 to 0.09 percent Al plus 1/2Fe, extracted by ammonium oxalate.
Cementation: weakly cemented in the upper part by both silica and calcium carbonate.
Consistence: moderately sticky or very sticky and moderately plastic or very plastic.
Clay accumulations: 5 to 20 percent faint or distinct clay bridges between sand grains and lining pores.
Secondary calcium carbonate: 4 to 20 percent 2 to 5 mm thick concretions on the bottom of rock fragments in the upper part and 15 to 35 percent 2 to 20 mm thick concretions on the bottom of rock fragments in the lower part.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Bqk and Cq horizons
Hue: 7.5YR and 10YR.
Value: 7 or 8 dry and 4 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry and moist.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent; with some pedons in the lower part, averaging 10 to 18 percent clay.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent mainly cobbles. Some pedons contain sub-horizons that average 25 to 45 percent mainly gravel.
Texture: sandy clay loam, sandy loam, and loamy sand.
Mineralogy: 12 to 20 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction and averages 0.01 to 0.09 percent Al plus 1/2Fe, extracted by ammonium oxalate.
Consistence: Nonsticky or slightly sticky and nonplastic or slightly plastic.
Secondary accumulations: Discontinuous calcium carbonate laminae in the upper part and silica coats on sand grains and as bridges between sand grains throughout.
Cementation class: Very weakly to moderately cemented.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Affey series. Affey soils are not intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days between July and September due to convection storms.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Homestake soils are on eroded fan remnants at elevations of 1,950 to 2,200 meters. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Homestake soils formed in alluvium derived from welded tuff and mixed lacustrine sediments. The climate is cool and continental. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 350 mm. The mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C. The frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Basket, Holtle, Pagecreek, and Satt soils. Basket lack mollic epipedons. Holtle soils have a cambic horizon between 33 and 71 cm. Pagecreek soils have a mollic epipedon that is 100 to 150 cm thick. Satt soils average 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; slow permeability; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Wildlife habitat and livestock grazing. The principal vegetation is mountain big sagebrush and antelope bitterbrush with an understory of bluebunch wheatgrass and needlegrasses. Singleleaf pinyon and Utah Juniper have invaded many areas of this range site associated with Homestake soils.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Nevada. Homestake soils are of a small extent. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County (Meadow Valley Area), Nevada, 1971.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 28 cm (A1, A2, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 64 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Btk1, and Btk2 horizons).
Duric features - The zone from 50 to 104 cm (Bqk horizons).
Particle size control section - The zone from 15 to 65 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and the upper part of Btk1 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.