LOCATION NEEDLE PEAK             NV+UT

Established Series
Rev. LIL/RAF/RLB/JBF
07/2016

NEEDLE PEAK SERIES

The Needle Peak series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a component of loess and volcanic ash. Needle Peak soils are on inset fans, fan skirts, drainage channels, stream terraces and flood plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Oxyaquic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Needle Peak silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 10 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure that parts readily to weak very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and few fine vesicular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

C--10 to 28 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist and crushed; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 23 cm thick)

Ck1--28 to 53 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist and crushed; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine white carbonate filaments and soft masses; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 50 cm thick)

Ck2--53 to 104 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist redox concentrations; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few thin siliceous films lining pores; many fine faint white carbonate filaments and veins; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (40 to 60 cm thick)

Ck3--104 to 132 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; many fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist redox concentrations; weak medium platy structure that parts readily to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; few crustacean shells; many fine faint white carbonate filaments; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 36 cm thick)

2C--132 to 165 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist redox concentrations; weak thick platy structure that parts readily to strong coarse and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular, and many very fine and fine interstitial pores; common crustacean shells; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, Nevada; approximately 8.5 miles southwest of Winnemucca; about 500 feet south and 2,500 feet west of the northeast corner of section 35, T. 35 N., R. 37 E.; USGS Rose Creek Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 52 minutes 15 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 47 minutes 03 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.8708333 latitude, -117.7841667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry in the moisture control section. These soils have a seasonal high water table at depths between 122 and 150 cm.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to carbonates: Less than 25 cm.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 10 percent
Other features: Redoximorphic concentrations occur below 50 cm in most pedons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 20 to 35 percent clay.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Other features: Slightly effervescent in some pedons.

Ck and C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Silt loam or silty clay loam.
Structure: Angular blocky, subangular blocky, or it is massive.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Parowan and Prida series.

Parowan soils have a 15 to 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. Prida soils contain silica accumulation and contain continuous brittle matrix.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Needle Peak soils are on inset fans, drainage channels, low fan skirts, stream terraces, and flood plains. These soils formed in alluvium and lake sediments derived from mixed rocks with a component of loess and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 1,220 to 1,739 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 180 to 230 mm, mean annual temperature is 8 to 10 degrees C, and the frost- free season is 100 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Benin, Dun Glen, Ocala, Raglan, and the competing Prida soils. Benin soils have lacustrine clay at a depth of 25 to 25 cm. Dun Glen soils are coarse-loamy. Ocala soils have layers of high sodium concentration. Raglan soils are fine- loamy and have horizons with 20 to 80 percent durinodes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained, but drainage has been altered in most areas by pumping and diversion. Very slow runoff; in spring these soils receive runoff of drainage water from other areas. Moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland, wildlife habitat, and as cropland under pump irrigation. The principal crops are alfalfa and small grains. The native vegetation is principally big sagebrush, rubber rabbitbrush, basin wildrye, bottlebrush squirreltail, and cheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24, 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt County (BLM Sonoma Planning Unit), Nevada, 1974.

REMARKS: This soil was reclassified from Aquic Torriorthents to Oxyaquic Torriorthents in 1993 as a result of recent changes in taxonomy.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 18 cm (A and part of the C1 horizon).
Redox concentrations - The zone from 53 to 165 cm (Ck2, Ck3 and 2 C horizons).
Seasonal water table: Within 122 to 150 cm.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Ck1 horizon and parts of the C and Ck2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.