LOCATION MIZPAH                  NV

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

MIZPAH SERIES

The Mizpah series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks over residuum weathered from siltstone. Mizpah soils are on rock pediments. Slopes are 2 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 180 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Calcic Paleargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Mizpah sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with approximately 55 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to weak thin platy; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 cm thick)

A2--8 to 15 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bqk--15 to 23 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent hard, firm 10 to 20 mm diameter durinodes; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

2Btqk--23 to 36 cm; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) and light brown (7.5YR 6/4) silty clay, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few distinct clay films lining pores; 15 percent hard, firm 5 to 15 mm diameter durinodes; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine coats on faces of peds; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 36 cm thick)

2Btk--36 to 81 cm; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) silty clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine coats on faces of peds; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (30 to 50 cm thick)

2Cr--81 to 100 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) fractured, weathered siltstone, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; secondary carbonates segregated in fractures in the upper part.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 3 miles east of Currie; approximately 200 feet north and 420 feet west of the southeast corner of section 36, T. 28 N., R. 64 E., USGS Currie 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 15 minutes 30 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 41 minutes 48 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.2583083 latitude, -114.6966667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist for short periods in the winter and spring, dry from summer to mid fall; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Ochric epipedon thickness: 8 to 23 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered siltstone.
Other features: An abrupt horizon boundary is normally present between the Bqk or A2 horizons and the 2Btqk horizon accompanied by an abrupt increase in clay content of at least 20 percent.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 40 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel.

A1 horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 3 or 4 moist.

A2 horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Clay content: 15 to 20 percent.

Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR.
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Structure: Prismatic or angular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard dry, friable or firm moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Durinodes: 10 to 15 percent 5 to 20 mm diameter durinodes present in some subhorizon.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as common coats on faces of peds, usually in lower subhorizons.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 30 to 40 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Acoma series. Acoma soils have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mizpah soils are on rock pediments. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks over residuum weathered from siltstone. Slopes are 2 to 4 percent. Elevations range from 1,800 to 1,895 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 150 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Wintermute and Zerk soils. Wintermute soils are loamy-skeletal, very deep, and do not have argillic horizons. Zerk soils are sandy-skeletal, very deep, and do not have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; very slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mizpah soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly pigmy sagebrush and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive with less than 200 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County (Southeast Part), Nevada, 1994.

REMARKS: The revision of August 2003 updated the taxonomic class from Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Paleargids and recognized the presence of a calcic horizon.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A1, A2 and Bqk horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 23 to 81 cm (2Btqk and 2Btk horizons).
Abrupt textural change - The abrupt clay increase of more than 20 percent at 23 cm (between the Bqk and 2Btqk horizons).
Durinodes - The zone from 15 to 36 cm (Bqk and 2Btqk horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 36 to 81 cm (2Btk horizon).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 81 cm to underlying weathered bedrock (2Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 23 to 73 cm (2Btqk horizon and part of the 2Btk horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.