LOCATION HOUGH NV

Established Series
Rev. WNA/GJS
05/2016

HOUGH SERIES

The Hough series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in eolian modified coarse textured alluvium and lacustrine sediments derived from igneous rocks. Hough soils are on lake plains, lake terraces, and fan piedmonts and have 0 to 8 percent slopes. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Hough sand, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

A2--8 to 15 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 28 cm thick)

A3--15 to 25 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and few medium tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

2AB--25 to 36 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

2Bt--36 to 53 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few medium and common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and common fine interstitial pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds, and many thin and moderately thick clay films lining pores and bridging mineral grains; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick.)

2C--53 to 66 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand with strata of coarse sand about l cm. thick, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films bridging mineral grains; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

3C--66 to 152 cm; stratified uncoated fine sand and coarse sand with many relict iron oxide mottles, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.0)

TYPE LOCATION: Lyon County, Nevada, about 3 miles east of U.S. Highway 95A and 300 feet south of 5th street in Silver Springs, Nevada; l,700 feet east and 300 feet south of the northwest corner of section l6, T. l7 N., R. 25 E. USGS Silver Springs South, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle. 39 degrees 20 minutes 41 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 11 minutes 13 seconds west longitude, WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.3450000 latitude, -119.186667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist for short periods in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall.
Soil temperature: About 13 degrees C.
Depth to 2C: 38 to 91 cm.

A horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

2Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or l0YR
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry.
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4.
Texture: Sandy loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: l8 to 25 percent.

2C horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Reaction: Commonly neutral; ranges to moderately alkaline.
Other features: Lime in fine filaments in some pedons.

3C horizon
Rock fragments: Up to 35 percent, mostly gravel.
Carbonates: Few thin coatings on sands and gravel in some pedons.
Gypsum: Few thin filaments or soft masses in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ethete, Garland, Ornea, and Sharland series. Ethete soils have a calcareous argillic horizon and a calcic horizon. Garland soils have horizons of lime accumulation from a depth of 30 to 60 cm and are mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline throughout. Ornea soils have a gravelly argillic horizon and more than 35 percent rock fragments within 50 cm. Sharland soils are calcareous and have very gravelly sand at a depth of 25 to 50 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hough soils are on lake plains, lake terraces, and fan piedmonts at elevations of 1,250 to 1,340 meters. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. These soils formed in eolian modified alluvium and lacustrine sediments derived from intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks. The climate is cool, arid having warm dry summers and cold dry winters. Mean annual precipitation is 100 to 150 cm. The mean annual temperature is 11 to 13 degrees C. The frost-free season is ll0 to l30 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Express, Patna, and Tipperary soils. Express and Tipperary soils lack an argillic horizon. Patna soils have a coarse-loamy argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Urban development, rangeland, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is littleleaf horsebrush, Douglas rabbitbrush, Indian ricegrass, dalea, Bailey greasewood, and spineless horsebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Valleys of western Nevada. The soils are of small extent. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lyon County Area, Nevada, l98l.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A1, A2 and A3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 36 to 53 cm (Bt horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 36 to 53 cm (Bt horizon).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.