LOCATION LOOMER                  NV

Established Series
Rev. DMC/GJS/JVC/JBF
11/2016

LOOMER SERIES

The Loomer Series consists of shallow, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic rocks. Loomer soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Aridic Lithic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Loomer extremely cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 18 cm thick)

Bt1--5 to 10 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

Bt2--10 to 30 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) extremely cobbly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong very fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

Bt3--30 to 48 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) extremely gravelly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films coating rock fragments; 70 percent angular gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

R--48 cm; fractured andesite; illuvial clay lining fractures; few very fine roots in the upper parts of fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; north of Smith Valley in the Buckskin Range; approximately 1,200 feet east and 700 feet south of the northwest corner of section 1, T. 13 N., R. 23 E.; USGS Lincoln Flat 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 1 minute 26.69 seconds N. and longitude 119 degrees 21 minutes 38.57 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.0232222 latitude, -119.361806 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in late fall to spring, dry from summer to early fall; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 25 cm; includes the Bt1 horizon and part of the Bt2 horizon when the upper 18 cm is mixed.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm to a lithic contact; the upper part of the contact is commonly fractured.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, mostly angular gravel and cobbles. Lithology of fragments is volcanic rocks such as andesite, rhyolite, and basalt.

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

Bt1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, mainly gravel or cobbles.

Bt2 and Bt3 horizons
Hue: 5YR through 10YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly clay loam, extremely cobbly clay loam, or extremely gravelly clay.
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, mainly angular gravel and cobbles.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Coelho, Flatron, Longcreek, Pioche, Ruckles, and Vantage series.

Coelho soils are 10 to 25 cm to bedrock. Flatron soils average 50 to 60 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Longcreek soils have 35 to 55 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and are dry for 140 days out of 160 when soil temperatures exceed 5 degrees C. Pioche soils have 35 to 55 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Ruckles soils have a Bt horizon with 50 to 60 percent clay and have surface textures influenced by loess and volcanic ash. Vantage soils have a Btq horizon, have 30 percent silica coats on bedrock, and have surface textures influenced by loess.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Loomer soils are on hills and mountains. They typically occur on shoulder and backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic rocks such as andesite, rhyolite, and basalt. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1520 to 2440 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 7 to 11 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 90 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Olac and Zephan soils. Olac soils are loamy-skeletal and have ochric epipedons. Zephan soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts and have ochric epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained and moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Loomer soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, Nevada ephedra, desert needlegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Sandberg's bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRAs 26 and 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County Area, Nevada, 1981.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm after mixing (A and Bt1 horizons and part of the Bt2 horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 48 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 48 cm to underlying unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 48 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).

Classification was updated to 11th edition on 07/2011 changed from Lithic Argixerolls to Aridic Lithic Argixerolls.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Three pedons of Loomer have partial characterization data by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as user pedon ID 79NV005004 (pedon # 81P0104), 80NV019001 (pedon # 81P0105), and 80NV001000 (pedon # 81P0106).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.