LOCATION HUSSELL                 NV

Established Series
Rev. DWW/RLB/JVC/JBF
01/2019

HUSSELL SERIES

The Hussell series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from granitic rocks with a component of volcanic ash. Hussell soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Hussell coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 2 percent gravel.

A--0 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Bt1--10 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium, few coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

Bt2--23 to 41 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; common faint clay bridges between mineral grains; 15 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0) clear smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

Bqk1--41 to 66 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive, very hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 50 percent durinodes in a continuous brittle matrix; 25 percent gravel; common carbonate coats on rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)

Bqk2--66 to 142 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 35 percent durinodes in a discontinuous weakly cemented matrix; 15 percent gravel; few carbonate coats on rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 64 cm thick)

C--142 to 165 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; 25 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 14 miles south of Jackpot; 500 feet south and 2,500 feet east of the northwest corner of section 22, T. 45 N., R. 64 E.; USGS Middle Stack Mountain. 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 46 minutes 43 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 42 minutes 48 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.7786111 latitude, -114.7133333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry mid-June through late October; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 36 to 50 cm.
Other features: When the upper 18 cm of soil is mixed, the percent organic matter averages less than 1.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 8 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: Tend to reflect some of the darker lithochromic colors.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Organic carbon content: Averages 0.3 to 0.6 percent when mixed.

Bt horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, Value of 5 dry and 3 moist tend to reflect lithochromic colors.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Coarse sandy loam or gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Structure: Subangular blocky or massive.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bqk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Texture: Gravelly loamy coarse sand or loamy coarse sand.
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent gravel.
Silica cementation: Weakly cemented; most pedons contain 35 to 50 percent durinodes and may also have a continuous brittle matrix. All pedons have at least one subhorizon within 100 cm that contains a continuous brittle matrix.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.

C horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Texture: Gravelly coarse sand or coarse sand.
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Watoopah series. Watoopah soils are intermittently moist in the upper part of the moisture control section for 10 to 20 days cumulative during summer months and have argillic horizons with texture of sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hussell soils are on fan remnants. They formed in alluvium derived mainly from granitic rocks with a component of volcanic ash. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,590 to 1,985 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Deepeek, Jackpot, and Valmy soils. Deepeek soils are loamy-skeletal, shallow to indurated duripans, and have argillic horizons. Jackpot soils are ashy, shallow to paralithic contacts of soft tuff, and have cambic horizons. Valmy soils are coarse-loamy, very deep, and do not have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low or medium surface runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Hussell soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, needleandthread, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, Northeast Part, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 10 cm (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Duric feature - The zone from 41 to 142 cm (Bqk1 and Bqk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.