LOCATION LITTLEMUD NV
Tentative Series
Rev. PWB-TM-JVC-JBF
04/2019
LITTLEMUD SERIES
The Littlemud series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from quartzite or rhyolite. Littlemud soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 760 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Littlemud gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 8 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)
A2--8 to 25 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium, few coarse roots; many very fine interstitial, common very fine and fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)
A3--25 to 41 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)
Bt1--41 to 56 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 45 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)
Bt2--56 to 97 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 45 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (25 to 46 cm thick)
R--97 cm; unweathered quartzite.
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; on the Humboldt National Forest about 0.5 mile southeast of Rosebud Mountain; 1,100 feet west and 2000 feet south of the northeast corner of section 34, T. 46 N., R. 56 E.; USGS Tennessee Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 45 minutes 06 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 38 minutes 19 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.7516667 latitude, -115.6386111 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in the moisture control section in winter and spring, usually dry from late July through early October; Completely moist for 110 to 140 days following the winter solstice; typic xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 4 to 7 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 11 to 13 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 40 to 50 cm; does not include the Bt horizons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are quartzite or rhyolite.
A horizons
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Moderately acid or slightly acid.
Organic matter content: 3 to 6 percent.
Other features: The A1 horizon exhibits strong hydrophobic characteristics.
Bt horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Reaction: neutral or slightly acid.
Texture: Sandy clay loam or clay loam.
Rock fragments: Dominantly gravel, averages less than 20 percent stone and cobbles.
Structure: Weak or moderate fine or medium subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Angelwhine,
Aspetill,
Badwater,
Bickmore,
Bigcoulee,
Blackbear,
Bluebell,
Booneville,
Buena Vista,
Dab,
Dailybasin,
Delhew,
Florey,
Hawkinspeak,
Igor,
Keman,
Lostcannon,
Monibasin,
Panin,
Parkalley,
Parkay,
Rangertaft,
Redbird,
Rutherford,
Sweetmount, and
Woodhurst series.
Anglewhine,
Aspetill,
Bigcoulee,
Boonville,
Dab,
Dailybasin,
Delhew,
Florey,
Igor,
Keman,
Monibasin,
Parkalley,
Parkay, and
Redbird soils are very deep.
Badwater and
Sweetmount soils are deep.
Angelwhine,
Aspetill,
Bigcoulee,
Boonville,
Dab,
Dailybasin,
Delhew,
Florey,
Igor,
Keman,
Monibasin,
Parkalley,
Parkay, and
Redbird soils are very deep.
Badwater and
Sweetmount soils are deep.
Anglewhine,
Aspetill,
Buena Vista,
Dab,
Delhew,
Hawkinspeak,
Igor,
Keman,
Lostcannon,
Monibasin, and
Sweetmount soils average less than 27 percent clay in the PSCS.
Angelwhine soils average greater than 760 mm of precipitation.
Aspetill,
Dab,
Lostcannon, and
Monibasin soils average greater than 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size-control-section.
Badwater,
Bickmore,
Buena Vista,
Monibasin,
Panin, and
Woodhurst soils are dominated by cobbles or stones in the particle-size-control-section.
Bigcoulee soils have a seasonal water table and redox features below 100 cm.
Bluebell,
Boonville,
Hawkinspeak,
Lostcannon,
Panin,
Parkalley,
Parkay,
Rutherford, and
Woodhurst soils have a mean summer soil temperature that averages greater than 13 degrees C.
Blackbear,
Florey, and
Igor soils have a mean annual soil temperature of less than 4 degrees C.
Aspetill and
Rangertaft soils have a mean summer soil temperature of less than 11 degrees C.
Blackbear soils have an udic soil moisture regime.
Bickmore,
Buena Vista,
Redbird soils have secondary calcium carbonate accumulations within the lower part of the profile.
Dab,
Delhew, and
Keman soils have a xeric soil moisture regime that borders aridic.
Dailybasin soils can form in alluvium or till.
Hawkinspeak and
Sweetmount soils have a mollic epipedon greater than 50 cm.
Woodhurst soils have an ustic soil moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Littlemud soils are on mountains. They typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from quartzite or rhyolite. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 2,290 to 2,750 meters. The climate is subhumid with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 500 to 760 mm, the mean annual temperature is 3 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Hackwood and
Inpendence soils. Hackwood soils are fine-loamy, very deep, and have thick mollic epipedons. Inpendence soils are loamy-skeletal, very deep, and have thick umbric epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Littlemud soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly snowbrush ceanothus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 25.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES PROPOSED: Elko County (Humboldt National Forest), Nevada, 1995. The name is taken from a historical mine in the area.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 41 cm (A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 41 to 97 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 97 cm to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 41 to 91 cm (Bt1 horizon and part of the Bt2 horizon).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.