LOCATION LOVELOCK                NV

Established Series
Rev. WGH/CRS/JVC/JBF
05/2016

LOVELOCK SERIES

The Lovelock series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks, diatomaceous earth, and volcanic ash. Lovelock soils are on lake plains and stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Lovelock silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 cm, gray (10YR 5/1) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 10 percent medium prominent olive (5Y 4/4), moist, masses of oxidized iron; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

A2--8 to 18 cm, gray (10YR 5/1) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to coarse roots; many very fine to medium tubular pores; 10 percent medium prominent olive (5Y 4/4), moist, masses of oxidized iron; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

A3--18 to 25 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

C--25 to 30 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine to coarse roots; many very fine to medium tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

2ABkb--30 to 76 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent with carbonate segregated in few coarse distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 30 cm thick)

3Ckgb--76 to 152 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) stratified silt loam to clay, brown (10YR 4/3), dry; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; black (5Y 2.5/1), moist, manganese masses; 1 percent fine mollusk shells and 25 percent medium carbonate masses; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Churchill County, Nevada; about 2,000 feet north and 2,200 feet west of the southeast corner of section 35, T. 25 N., R. 30 E.; USGS Lovelock Indian Caves 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 59 minutes 26 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 34 minutes 45 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.9906667 latitude, -118.579167 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually saturated for one month or more during most years unless drained. A seasonal high water table is at a depth of 0 to 50 cm. unless artificially drained. Drained phases may have a water table below 150 cm.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 58 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Redoximorphic features: Distinct or prominent redox concentrations of iron or manganese are present in the lower part of the mollic epipedon in some pedons.
Other features: Freshwater mollusk shells and shell fragments can occur in any horizon, and range from few to many. Buried thin, dark, organic matter-rich layers are common.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 60 percent influenced by diatoms, sponce spicas and volcanic glass.
Rock fragments: Less than 5 percent gravel.

A horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or N (neutral).
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 0 through 2.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 32 mmhos/cm., unless reclaimed then 0 to 16.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30, unless reclaimed.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent.
Bulk denstity: 0.85 to 1.00 gm/cc.
Other features: Particle-size analysis indicates textures are silty clay or clay but some field estimates exhibit the characteristics of a loam or silt loam.

C and 2ABkb (if present) horizons
Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 4 through 7 dry and 2 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3.
Structure: Subangular blocky, prismatic or horizons are massive.
Texture: Stratified silt loam to clay including apparent field textures of loam, silty clay loam, silty clay.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 32 mmhos/cm., unless reclaimed
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30, unless reclaimed.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent.
Bulk denstity: 0.85 to 1.00 gm/cc.

2Ckgb horizon (if present)
Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 4 through 7 dry and 2 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3.
Structure: Subangular blocky, prismatic or horizons are massive.
Texture: Stratified silt loam, to clay including apparent field textures of loam, silty clay loam, silty clay.
Salinity (EC): 0 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 6 to 30.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent.
Bulk denstity: 0.85 to 1.00 gm/cc.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Brinker series.

Brinker soils are dominated by smectitic mineralogy in the lower part of the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lovelock soils are on lake plains and stream terraces. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks, diatomaceous earth, and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,150 to 1,220 meters. The climate is cool-arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 125 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 9 to 12 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Armydrain, Humboldt, and Ryepatch series. These soils are not strongly influenced by volcanic ash and diatomaceous earth in the upper part of the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained; negligible or very low surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. A seasonal high water table is present between 0 and 50 cm for some time during the year. Cumulative annual duration class is Persistent. Drained and ponded phases of this series are recognized.

USE AND VEGETATION: Lovelock soils are used for irrigated cropland, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly inland saltgrass and few black greasewood. Cultivated areas are used for growing small grains and alfalfa.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive about 9,700 acres. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County, Nevada, Lovelock Area, 1963.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 0 and 50 cm for some time during normal years.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (A3, C, 2ABkb and parts of A2 and 2Ckgb horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory Data correlated to Lovelock series includes: 56NVS027009, 56NVS027010, and 61NVS027001.
The series type location was moved to better represent the series concept.

During the MLRA update soils correlated to Lovelock with an irreversible altered drainage should be evaluated.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.