LOCATION NEEDAHOE CA+NV

Established Series
AMB-EWB-TM-JVC
04/2017

NEEDAHOE SERIES

The Needahoe series consists of moderately deep to a duripan, moderately well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rock such as andesite with surficial additions of eolian volcanic ash. Needahoe soils are on plateaus. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 381 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over clayey, glassy over smectitic, frigid Vitrandic Durixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Needahoe gravelly ashy sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles.

A1--0 to 8 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium platy parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 15 percent subangular gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

A2--8 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to medium roots; common fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 1 percent subangular cobbles and 15 percent subangular gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Bt1--25 to 41 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium prismatic parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots and few coarse roots; few fine tubular and common fine and medium interstitial pores; 25 percent prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; few fine zones of uncoated silt and sand grains (clay depletions) on faces of peds; 15 percent subangular gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Bt2--41 to 56 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium interstitial pores; 25 percent continuous distinct clay films on surfaces along pores and 25 percent continuous distinct clay films on all faces of peds; many fine and medium zones of uncoated silt and sand grains (clay depletions) on faces of peds; 5 percent subangular cobbles and 15 percent subangular gravel; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

2Bt3--56 to 84 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common fine and medium interstitial pores; 50 percent prominent pressure cutans and clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) masses of manganese accumulation; 1 percent subangular cobbles and 20 percent subangular gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

2Bqkm1--84 to 122 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) cemented material, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) crushed and moist; strong thin and medium platy structure; very hard, extremely firm, moderately and strongly cemented by opaline silica; 20 percent less than 1 millimeter thick silica laminae; 10 percent subangular cobbles and 20 percent subangular gravel; 20 percent fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) masses of manganese accumulation; secondary carbonates segregated as 10 percent coats on bottoms of rock fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

2Bqkm2--122 to 152 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) cemented material, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; extremely hard, extremely firm, moderately and strongly cemented by opaline silica; 15 percent subangular cobbles and 40 percent subangular gravel; secondary carbonates segregated as 10 percent pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) and brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist coats on bottoms of rock fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; in the Bodie Hills about 1,219 meters southwest of Beauty Peak; about 366 meters south and 671 meters east of the northwest corner of section 22, T. 5 N., R. 27 E.; USGS Aurora 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 16 minutes 57.7 seconds north latitude and 118 degrees 59 minutes 15.2 seconds west longitude; WGS84 38.28268 latitude, -118.98756 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section during fall, winter, and spring; usually dry from July through early October; Saturated in the upper part of the argillic horizon for a short time during spring; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 41 cm.
Depth to major lithologic discontinuity: 30 to 87 cm.
Depth to duripan cm 76 to 100 cm.
Depth to bedrock: More than 152 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 27 to 35 percent in the upper part and 40 to 55 percent in the strongly contrasting lower part;
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of rock fragments is volcanic rock such as andesite.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Volcanic glass content: 40 to 70 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.

Bt1 and Bt2 horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly ashy sandy clay loam or gravelly ashy clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 2 percent.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 50 percent in very fine sand and fine sand fractions.

2Bt3 horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 4 or 6 moist.
Clay content: 40 to 55 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

2Bqkm1 horizon
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 4 or 6 moist.
Cementation: Strongly or moderately silica cemented matrix.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 5 to 15 percent filaments and coats typically on bottoms of rock fragments.

2Bqkm2 horizon
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 4 or 6 moist.
Cementation: Strongly or moderately silica cemented matrix.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 5 to 10 percent filaments and coats typically on the bottoms of rock fragments and as masses in seams.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Needahoe soils are on plateaus. They typically occur on summit positions. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rock such as andesite with surficial additions of eolian volcanic ash. The probable sources of the volcanic ash are the Mono Craters and Long Valley Caldera in eastern California. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 2,400 to 2,600 meters. The climate is semiarid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 35o to 40o mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 30 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mopana and Uawda soils. Mopana soils have duripans within 50 cm of the soil surface, have an aridic moisture regime, and have an abrupt increase in clay in the upper part of the argillic horizon. Uawda soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the upper part of the particle-size control section, do not have duripans, and have paralithic contacts within 100 cm of the soil surface.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; Episaturation is present with a perched seasonal high water table between 25 and 64 centimeters (shallow or moderately deep free water occurrence classes) between March and May. Cumulative annual duration class is very transitory and anaerobic conditions are not present; low surface runoff; very slow permeability low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Needahoe soils are used for rangeland, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly silver sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, and western needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California and western Nevada, in the western part of the Great Basin. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Mono County (Coleville-Bridgeport Area), California, 2007.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 25 to 84 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and 2Bt3 horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - The zone from the soil surface to 56 cm (A1, A2, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Major lithologic discontinuity - The change to clayey material at 56 cm (between the Bt2 and 2Bt3 horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 84 to 152 cm(2Bqkm1 and 2Bqkm2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 84 cm(Bt1, Bt2, and 2Bt3 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Volcanic glass content of the Bt2 horizon determined locally by optical grain counts using a polarizing petrographic microscope.
User Pedon ID: 2007CA051006.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.