LOCATION LONCAN                  NV

Established Series
Rev. RBS/RAF/RLB/JBF
04/2019

LONCAN SERIES

The Loncan series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived mainly from chert or sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Loncan soils are on hills and mountain side slopes. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Loncan extremely gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 60 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)

A2--8 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

A3--20 to 36 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 cm thick)

C--36 to 48 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2) clear wavy boundary. (12 to 33 cm thick)

2C--48 to 79 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 31 cm thick)

2R--79 cm; fractured conglomerate.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about l4 miles north of Elko; approximately 400 feet north and 2,200 feet east of the southwest corner of section 35, T. 37 N., R. 55 E.; USGS The Buttes 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 02 minutes 48 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 44 minutes 58 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.0466667 latitude, -115.7494444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring and dry late June through mid-October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 5 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 43 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm.
Other features: Some pedons have AC horizons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 50 to 70 percent gravel and cobbles with very few stones.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

C horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Very gravelly loam, or very gravelly sandy clay loam.
Rock fragments: Average 40 to 60 percent gravel and cobbles.

2C horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Extremely cobbly loam, or extremely gravelly loam.
Rock fragments: 60 to 75 percent gravel and cobbles.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fitzwater, Hartig, Riddleranch, Snapeed, and Swahlen series.

Fitzwater and Swahlen soils are greater than 150 cm deep to bedrock. Hartig soils are more than 100 cm deep to bedrock. Riddleranch soils have a Bw horizon. Snapeed soils have 5 to 15 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Loncan soils are on north and east aspects of hill and mountain side slopes in pockets and draws and in colluvial positions on lower slopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from chert, welded tuffs, shale, conglomerate, andesite, sandstone, rhyolite and other volcanic or sedimentary rocks. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,680 to 2,445 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation, mostly snow, is 300 to 400 mm; mean annual air temperature is 5 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cleavage and Gando soils. Cleavage soils are shallow to bedrock and have a clay argillic horizon. Gando soils are shallow to bedrock.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, arrowleaf balsamroot, Letterman needlegrass, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass, basin wildrye and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern and Central Nevada. MLRA 25, 24, 28B. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 36 cm (A1, A2 and A3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 79 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 79 cm (C and 2C horizons and part of the A3 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.