LOCATION KASPAL                  NV

Established Series
Rev. DJM/RLB
09/2015

KASPAL SERIES


The Kaspal series consists of deep to a petrocalcic, well drained soils on fan piedmonts. They formed in mixed alluvium from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 6 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 59 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Typic Petroargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Kaspal very gravelly sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 5 percent cobbles and 40 percent pebbles.

A--0 to 2 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 3 percent cobbles, 37 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Btk1--2 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; common fine and medium lime filaments; 20 percent cobbles, 10 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

Btk2--11 to 34 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine and medium roots; common fine and few medium tubular pores; few thin clay film lining pores; common pressure faces; many fine and medium lime masses; 5 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 inches thick)

2Bk--34 to 47 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely cobbly clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots; few medium tubular pores; many thick lime coatings and pendants on the sides and undersides of rock fragments; weakly lime cemented matrix; 45 percent cobbles, 30 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (11 to 18 inches thick)

2Bkm--47 inches; indurated petrocalcic horizon.

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; approximately 21 miles east of U.S. Highway 93 and 3.5 miles northwest of the Kane Springs Road in Kane Springs Valley; about 2000 feet east and 1000 feet north of the projected southwest corner of section 7, T. 9 S., R. 65 E.; 37 degrees, 10 minutes, and 35 seconds north latitude, 114 degrees, 45 minutes, and 17 seconds west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods in the winter and spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative, between July and October following convection storms.

Soil temperature - 59 to 64 degrees F.

Depth to petrocalcic horizon - 40 to 60 inches.

Depth to calcic horizon - 30 to 40 inches.


Control section - Clay content: 35 to 55 percent.

Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent.


A horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.

Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.

Chroma: 3 or 4.

Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent.


Btk1 horizon - Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR.

Value: 5 or 6 dry.

Chroma: 3 through 6.

Clay content: Average 27 to 35 percent.

Rock fragment: 5 to 30 percent.

Structure: Prismatic or subangular blocky.

Consistence: Hard or very hard, friable or firm.

Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.


Btk2 horizon: Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR

Value: 5 or 6 dry

Chroma: 3 through 6

Texture: Clay or gravelly clay

Clay content: Average 35 to 55 percent.

Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Rock fragment: 5 to 25 percent.


2Bk horizon - Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR.

Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist.

Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 5 or 6 moist.

Clay content: 30 to 40 percent.

Rock fragments: 40 to 75 percent predominantly cobbles.

Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, very friable or friable.

Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kaspal soils are on fan piedmonts. These soils formed in mixed alluvium. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. Elevations are 3200 to 3800 feet. The climate is semi-arid with hot summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 5 to 8 inches; mean annual temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 180 to 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canutio soils. The Canutio soils contain less than 35 percent clay and more than 35 percent rock fragment in their control sections.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly blackbrush, range ratany, big galleta, cholla, banana yucca, and indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Nevada. Kaspal soils are not extensive. MLRA 30.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Nevada, South Part, 1992.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Argillic horizon - The zone from 2 to 34 inches (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons).

Calcic horizon - The zone from 34 to 47 inches (Bk horizon).

Petrocalcic horizon - The zone begins at a depth of 47 inches (Bkm horizon).

Particle-size control section - The zone from 2 to 22 inches. (Btk1 horizon and part of the Btk2 horizon)

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 9/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/1997. ET


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.