LOCATION LYX                     NV

Established Series
Rev. JBF/WED
06/2016

LYX SERIES

The Lyx series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium of dominantly volcanic rocks. Lyx soils are on inset fans, alluvial fans and fan skirts. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Typic Haplocambids

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

A--0 to 8 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many fine and medium interstitial pores, few fine vesicular pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

Bw--8 to 28 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine through medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gavel; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

Bk--28 to 61 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine through medium roots; many very fine and fine and common coarse interstitial pores; few fine carbonates coating undersides of rock fragment; 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)

2Bk--61 to 150 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stratified very gravelly loamy coarse sand to extremely gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium, many coarse interstitial pores; common fine carbonates coating undersides of rock fragment; 55 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4)

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; Stone Cabin Valley, approximately 400 feet north and 400 feet east of southwest corner of section 30, T. 3 N., R. 49 E.; USGS Stone Cabin Ranch SE 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 4 minutes 24 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 32 minutes 44 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.0734444 latitude, -116.5436111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 cumulative between July and September due to summer convection storms; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 13 to 15 degrees C.
Depth to 2Bk horizon: 28 to 71 cm.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent in the upper part, strongly effervescent to violently effervescent in the substratum in most pedons.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Average 5 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 55 percent gravels, mainly of volcanic origin.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.

Bw horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture (less than 2 millimeter fraction): Sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 25 to 45 percent.
Consistence: Nonplastic or slightly plastic wet.

Bk and 2Bk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Averages loamy sand, sand or loamy coarse sand with strata of sandy loam.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel with less than 5 percent cobbles,
Other features: Highly stratified in most pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Annaw, Labkey, Pumper and Toulon series.

Annaw soils are calcareous throughout. Labkey and Pumper soils lack summer precipitation, in addition Labkey soils contain 3 to 9 percent clay in the particle-size control section and contain 15 to 30 percent gravel size fragments mainly 2 to 5 mm across and of granitic origin. Toulon soils lack summer precipitation and have 15 to 30 percent cobbles as well as relict oxide mottles in the substratum.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Lyx soils are on inset fans, alluvial fans and fan skirts at elevations of 1,460 to 2,070 meters. They formed in alluvium derived mainly from intermediate volcanic rocks. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 125 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 12 to 14 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 120 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Eastgate, Hollywell and Unsel series. Eastgate soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Hollywell soils have a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section. Unsel soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and a weakly to strongly cemented subhorizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow to medium runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Present vegetation is mainly fourwing saltbush, Douglas rabbitbrush, littleleaf horsebrush, Indian ricegrass, spiny hopsage, and galleta.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. MLRA 29. These soils are of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nye County, Nevada, (Northeast part) 1993.

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 Bw horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 8 to 28 cm (Bw horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bw, Bk and 2Bk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.