LOCATION MACKERLAKE              NV

Established Series
Rev. SCH-JVC-JBF
05/2016

MACKERLAKE SERIES

The Mackerlake series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium and lacustrine deposits deposited from mixed sources. Mackerlake soils are on lake plains and alluvial flats. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Endoaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Mackerlake silty clay loam--wildlife habitat. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 5 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

Ag--5 to 25 cm; very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) silty clay loam, gray (2.5Y 5/1) dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine and many medium roots; many very fine and many fine tubular pores; common medium prominent olive gray (5Y 5/2) zones of iron depletion; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

BAg--25 to 58 cm; very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) silty clay, gray (2.5Y 5/1) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine and many medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common medium prominent olive gray (5Y 5/2) zones of iron depletion; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 50 cm thick)

Bzg--58 to 82 cm; dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) silty clay, gray (2.5Y 6/1) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine and medium prominent masses of salt; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 50 cm thick)

Cg--82 to 152 cm; very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) silty clay, gray (2.5Y 5/1) dry; massive; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Churchill County, Nevada; in the Lahontan Valley within the south end of Stillwater Marsh; about 2,360feet south and 1,350 feet west of the northeast corner of section 32, T. 20 N., R. 31 E.; USGS Stillwater 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 33 minutes 23 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 31 minutes 25.6 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.5563889 latitude, -118.523778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Saturated to the soil surface most of the year; Peraquic moisture regime.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 60 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Linear extensibility (LE) - 6 to 9 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 50 percent.

Ag horizon - Hue 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Distinct or prominent redox depletions; some pedons lack redox features.

BAg and Bzg horizons - Hue 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Texture: Silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay.
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 8 to 30.
Redoximorphic features: Distinct or prominent redox deletions.
Other features: In some pedons the BAg horizon qualifies as a cambic horizon.

Cg horizon - Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Texture: Silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay.
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent.
Salinity(EC): 8 to 30 mmhos/cm
Sodicity(SAR): 13 to 30.
Redoximorphic features: Distinct or prominent redox depletions; Some pedons lack these redox features.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Carlow, Chequest, Cove, Fults, Kalona, Kings, Marna, Moline, Rosedell, Streator, Titus, Waldorf, and Woodbury series.

Carlow, Chequest, Fults, Kalona, Kings, Marna, Moline, Streator, Titus, Waldorf, and Woodbury soils are in a udic moisture regime and have sodium adsorption ratio of less than 13. Cove soils are in a xeric moisture regime and have sodium adsorption ratio of less than 13. Rosedell soils have cambic and calcic horizons, are in a udic moisture regime, and have sodium adsorption ratio of less than 13.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mackerlake soils are on lake plains and alluvial flats. These soils formed in alluvium and lacustrine deposits derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Elevations range from 1,158 to 1,280 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 150 mm, the mean annual temperature is 11 to 13 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 120 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Carson, Lahontan, Pelic, Stillwater, and Turupah soils. Carson soils have a very-fine particle-size class and horizons with slickensides. Lahontan soils have an ochric epipedon. Pelic soils have a sandy particle-size class. Stillwater soils have aquic conditions below 46 cm. Turupah soils have ochric epipedons and salic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; negligible surface runoff; very slow permeability; low saturated hydraulic conductivity. Endosaturation is present by ponding of very long duration with up to 60 cm of standing water.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mackerlake soils are used for wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly cattails and bulrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Churchill County, Nevada, (established during update of NV603 Fallon-Fernley Area, NV), 1/2009.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the mineral soil surface to 58 cm (Ag and BAg horizons).
Aquic conditions - The conditions of endosaturation, reduction, and redoximorphic features between the soil surface and 152 cm at certain times during normal years.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (BAg and Bzg horizons and part of the Cg horizon).

The Vertic subgroup placement is based on the estimated linear extensibility (LE) as populated in the NASIS database.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.