LOCATION MAGHILLS                NV

Established Series
Rev. RAF/GJS/JBF
11/2016

MAGHILLS SERIES

The Maghills series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from limestone. Maghills soils are on alluvial fans and fan skirts. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Typic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Maghills gravelly sandy loam--rangeland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 10 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate thick and medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; common fine vesicular pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary (5 to 10 cm thick)

A2--10 to 20 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary (5 to 10 cm thick)

C--20 to 43 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary (15 to 25 cm thick)

2C1--43 to 79 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary (13 to 36 cm thick)

2C2--79 to 112 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores; 55 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary (18 to 38 cm thick)

2Cqk--112 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores; discontinuous weak silica cementation; 70 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8)

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; approximately 14 miles west of Eureka; about 1,700 feet north ant 700 feet east of the southwest corner of section 2, T. 18 N., R. 51 E.; USGS Combs Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 27 minutes 42 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 12 minutes 23 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.4616667 latitude, -116.2063889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring dry late May through early November; typic aridic soil moisture regime,
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to 2C horizon: 25 to 46 cm.
Depth to 2Cqk horizon: 100 to more than 150 cm.
Carbonates: 40 to 60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.

Particle-size control section - Clay content 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

C horizon
Texture gravelly or very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly or very gravelly fine sandy loam, gravelly or very gravelly silt loam, gravelly or very gravelly loam
Rock fragments 25 to 50 percent
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

2C horizon
Value 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Very gravelly or extremely gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly or extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, very gravelly or extremely gravelly loamy sand.
Rock fragments 45 to 70 percent.
Reaction Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline

2Cqk horizon
Texture: Extremely gravelly loamy sand or extremely gravelly sand.
Rock fragments: 60 to 70 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at the present time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Maghills soils are on alluvial fans and fan skirts. These soils formed in alluvium derived mainly from weathered limestone with a component of volcanic ash. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. Elevations are 1,830 to 2,135 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 150 to 250 mm mean annual temperature is 7 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alley, Nuc, and Umil soils. Alley soils have an argillic horizon Nuc soils have cemented layers within 100 cm of the surface and have a calcic horizon Umil soils are shallow to an indurated duripan

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, medium runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly winterfat, shadscale, low rabbitbrush, Indian ricegrass, and bud sagebrush

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada these soils are not extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A1 and part of the A2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (2C1, part of the C and 2C2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.