LOCATION MACKRANCH               NV

Established Series
Rev. EWB-JVC-JBF
04/2017

MACKRANCH SERIES

The Mackranch series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Mackranch soils are on flood plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Mackranch loam--pastureland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common fine and medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation and few fine distinct black (N 2.5/) moist masses of manganese accumulation; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

A2--10 to 28 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many fine and many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

A3--28 to 36 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; many fine and many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation, common fine faint very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist masses of manganese accumulation, and common medium faint very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist zones of iron depletion; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

2Cg1--36 to 61 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and many fine interstitial pores; 70 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; few coarse distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation and few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist coats of iron accumulation on the bottoms of rock fragments; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 50 cm thick)

2Cg2--61 to 152 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and many fine interstitial pores; 65 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; few coarse distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation and common fine dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist coats of iron accumulation on the bottoms of rock fragments; neutral (pH 6.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; in Carson Valley about 0.5 mile south of Minden; about 1,400 feet north and 1,900 feet east of the southwest corner of section 32, T. 13 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Minden 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 56 minutes 36 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 45 minutes 49 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.9432167 latitude, -119.7634833 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry in the moisture control section; moist in winter and spring; dry in summer and fall unless irrigated; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 12 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to strongly contrasting sandy-skeletal material: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to horizons with aquic conditions: 50 to 76 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: averages 18 to 25 percent in the upper part and 1 to 8 percent in the contrasting lower part.
Rock fragments: averages 5 to 25 percent in the upper part and 50 to 80 percent in the contrasting lower part, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is mainly igneous rocks.

A1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur as masses of iron or manganese accumulation; redox depletions occur as zones of iron depletion.

A2 and A3 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, gravelly loam, gravelly sandy loam, or gravelly fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur as masses of iron or manganese accumulation; redox depletions occur as zones of iron depletion.

2Cg horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly coarse sand, very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very gravelly loamy sand, extremely gravelly coarse sand, or extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand.
Clay content: 1 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur as masses of iron accumulation within the matrix or as coats of iron accumulation on rock fragments; redox depletion of iron has occurred in the matrix and is indicated by strong gleying.

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

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mackranch soils are on flood plains. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks but with a strong influence from granitic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,400 to 1,450 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, mean annual temperature is 8 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Henningsen, Job, Kazul, Morwen, and Whitmire soils. Henningsen and Morwen soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal and have aquic conditions at depths of 76 to 100 cm from the soil surface. Job soils are fine-loamy, have ochric epipedons, and endosaturation at depths between 90 and 150 cm from the soil surface. Kazul soils are fine-loamy, have cambic horizons, and endosaturation at depths between 122 and 150 cm from the soil surface. Whitmire soils have thick mollic epipedons and have strongly contrasting sandy material at depths between 50 and 76 cm from the soil surface.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 50 and 76 cm (moderately deep free water occurrence class) from December through May. Cumulative annual duration classes are Common or Persistent. The water table drops below 100 cm in the fall. These soils are susceptible to occasional flooding for brief periods between December and May.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mackranch soils are used for irrigated pasture, hayland, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly willows, cottonwood, sedges, rushes, and grasses. The vegetation in cultivated areas is mainly legume-grass hay or improved pasture. These soils are also a source for gravel (aggregate) for concrete manufacture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Nevada, 2012.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 36 cm (A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Major lithologic discontinuity - The clear change to sandy-skeletal material with the boundary at 36 cm (between the A3 and 2Cg1 horizons).
Aquic conditions - The conditions of endosaturation, reduction, and redoximorphic features between 50 and 152 cm at certain times in normal years (parts of the 2Cg1 and 2Cg2 horizons).
Particle size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (A3 and 2Cg1 horizons and parts of the A2 and 2Cg2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.