LOCATION MCIVEY                  NV

Established Series
Rev. PWB-RLB-JVC-JBF
11/2016

MCIVEY SERIES

The McIvey series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from quartzite, volcanic and sedimentary rocks. McIvey soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 2 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 350 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Typic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: McIvey gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with approximately 20 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles.

A1--0 to 8 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

A2--8 to 33 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

A/Bt--33 to 46 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; few faint clay films lining pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 23 cm thick)

Bt1--46 to 58 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 33 cm thick)

Bt2--58 to 81 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 46 cm thick)

Bt3--81 to 119 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films lining pores; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 74 cm thick)

Bt4--119 to 152 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine to medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds, lining pores, and coating fragments; 60 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; 15 percent paragravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 25 miles north-northwest of Wells; approximately 1,250 feet east and 2,000 feet north of the southwest corner of section 15, T. 41 N., R. 61 E.; USGS Black Butte NE 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 26 minutes 29.7 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 3 minutes 52.2 seconds W;WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.4415833 latitude, -115.0645000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section in winter and spring, dry mid-July through October; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 30 to 50 cm; includes the A/Bt horizon when present.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: more than 127 cm.
Other features: Some pedons have C horizons below a depth of 127 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is mainly volcanic rocks.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 5 percent.

Bt1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay loam or gravelly clay loam.
Consistence: Hard or very hard dry, friable to very firm moist, moderately sticky or very sticky and moderately plastic or very plastic wet.
Structure: Moderate or strong, fine or medium subangular blocky.
Clay content: 30 to 40 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and stones.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
Other features: Moist and dry colors of this horizon do not meet the requirements of a mollic epipedon.

Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay, extremely gravelly clay, very gravelly clay loam, or extremely gravelly clay loam in some subhorizons below 75 cm.
Clay content: 30 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones.
Pararock fragments: 0 to 15 percent paragravel.
Structure: Moderate or strong, fine through coarse subangular blocky, angular blocky, or prismatic.
Consistence: Hard or very hard dry, firm or very firm moist, and moderately sticky or very sticky and moderately plastic or very plastic wet.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
Other features: Bt4 horizon may be lacking in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Birchcreek, Derringer, Droem, Leevan, Netti, Ravenswood, Roostercomb, Sharesnout, Threek, Tickville, Urwil, Wilpar, Yago, and Yeates Hollow series.

Birchcreek and Derringer are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Droem, Leevan, Ravenswood, Roostercomb, Sharesnout, and Tickville soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Netti soils have very cobbly or extremely cobbly argillic horizons. Threek soils have horizons of silica accumulation below argillic horizons and have lithologic discontinuities within 100 cm. Urwil soils are intermittently moist in some part above the moisture control section between July and September due to summer convection storms. Wilpar soils are deep to paralithic contacts and are intermittently moist in some part above the moisture control section between July and September due to summer convection storms. Yago soils have subhorizons of the argillic horizon with identifiable secondary carbonates. Yeates Hollow soils are deep to lithic contacts.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: McIvey soils are on hills and mountains. These soils formed in alluvium or colluvium derived from quartzite, volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Typical volcanic rocks are rhyolite, andesite, or tuff and typical sedimentary rocks are shale, sandstone, or conglomerate. Slopes are 2 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,700 to 2,800 meters. The climate is semiarid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 460 mm, the mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cotant, Coser, and Quarz soils. Cotant soils are clayey, shallow to paralithic contacts, and have an aridic moisture regime. Coser soils are fine, moderately deep to paralithic contacts, and have an abrupt increase in clay at the boundary between the surface horizon and the argillic horizon. Quarz soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts and have an aridic moisture regime.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: McIvey soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, snowberry, serviceberry, Idaho fescue, and basin wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are extensive with about 142,000 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept and main acreage occurs in MLRA 25. Other acres of this series are mapped in MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County (Central Part), Nevada, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 46 cm (A1, A2, and A/Bt horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 33 to 152 cm (A/Bt, Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 33 to 83 cm (A/Bt, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons and part of the Bt3 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: The typical pedon at the series type location has full characterization data by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as pedon ID 05NV007004 (pedon # 06N0245).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.