LOCATION LOUDERBACK              NV

Established Series
Rev. GAR/JBF/JVC
05/2016

LOUDERBACK SERIES

The Louderback series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Louderback soils are on lake plains, beach plains, and lake terraces. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Oxyaquic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Louderback sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 8 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine interstitial and common fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

C1--8 to 33 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

C2--33 to 102 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (38 to 100 cm thick)

C3--102 to 152cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly sand; brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium roots; many fine and medium interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Esmeralda County Nevada; 700 feet south and 1,200 feet west of the northeast corner of section 25, T.3 N., R.39 E.; USGS Gilbert SE, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 5 minutes 31 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 32 minutes 21 seconds W; UTM 11, 460764e, 4204932n; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.0925000 latitude, - 117.5391667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry but moist for short periods in winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days during the period of July through October following convection storms. The lower C horizons are saturated with ground water for at least one month in normal years. The water table fluctuates between 90 and 150 cm in March through June.
Soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through strongly effervescent.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.

Particle-size control section - Percent clay: Averages 2 to 10 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3.

C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Averages sand or loamy sand.
Structure: Massive or single grain.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry, or is loose.
Other features: Thin strata of sandy loam, loam, or silt loam are present within the particle-size control section.

2C horizon (when present)
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Rock fragments: 30 to 50 percent, mainly gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: At present, there are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Louderback soils are on lake plains, beach plains, and lake terraces. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Elevations range from 1,030 to 1,520 meters. The climate is cool-arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 11 to 13 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 110 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Slaw, Rustigate, and Settlement soils. Slaw soils are fine-silty, well drained, and are highly stratified. Rustigate soils are fine-loamy. Settlement soils are fine, poorly drained, and have seasonal high water tables at 30 to 90 cm.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained; negligible or very low surface runoff; high hydraulic conductivity. These soils have a rare flooding frequency. A seasonal high water table is present between 90 and 152 cm (Moderately deep or deep free water occurrence class) for at least one month in normal years. Cumulative annual duration class is Transitory (March through June).

USE AND VEGETATION: Louderback soils are used for rangeland with limited use for urban development and irrigated cropland. The vegetation is mainly inland saltgrass, black greasewood, and alkali sacaton.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRAs 29 and 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County Area, Nevada, 1984.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and part of the C1 horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 90 and 152 cm for at least one month in normal years.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (part of the C1 and the C2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.