LOCATION NEWERA                  NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. KH/LJL/RLB
12/2015

NEWERA SERIES

The Newera series consists of very shallow and shallow, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium from rhyolite and altered granite. Newera soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes range from 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 6 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 60 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Newera extremely gravelly sandy loam, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 80 percent pebbles.

A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 80 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)

Bt--2 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and common faint clay films lining pores; 50 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 13 inches thick)

R--6 inches; rhyolite; fractured in the upper 6 inches.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; approximately 1.2 miles southwest of Fourth of July Mountain and approximately 2.5 miles north of Tip Top Well; about 850 feet north and 50 feet east of the southwest corner of section 5, T. 29 S., R. 64 E.; 35 degrees, 26 minutes, 45 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees, 52 minutes, 13 seconds west longitude; USGS Fourth of July Mountain, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM zone 11, 693304e, 3924565n, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July to October following convection storms. These soils have a typic aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature - 59 to 68 degrees F.

Control section - Percent clay: Averages 18 to 35 percent.

Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam

Rock fragments Averages 35 to 70 percent.

Depth to bedrock 4 to 14 inches.

Effervescence - Noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.

A horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.

Chroma: 3 or 4.

Clay content: 6 to 15 percent.

Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bt horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry.

Chroma: 3 or 4.

Texture of the fine earth: Loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam.

Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.

Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bosa (AZ) and Zibate (NV) series. Bosa soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 69 to 72 degrees F., are intermittently moist in some part of the control section for more than 20 days cumulative between July and October and have a Bt horizon with hues of 5YR and 7.5YR. Zibate soils have 60 to 85 percent rock fragments in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Newera soils are on hills and mountains. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from rhyolite and altered granite. Slopes range from 4 to 75 percent. Elevations are 3000 to 5000 feet. The climate is hot and arid with warm, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 5 to 7 inches; mean annual temperature is 57 to 66 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 180 to 300 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nipton and Haleburu series. Nipton and Haleburu soils do not have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium to very high runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat.. The present vegetation is mainly blackbrush, creosotebush, desert needlegrass and big galleta.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada. MLRA 30. These soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Series was established in the Fort Irwin Army Training Center, 1998. Series proposed in Clark County, Nevada, 1993. The name is coined from the New Era Mine located 3 miles to the northeast.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - 0 to 2 inches (A horizon).

Argillic horizon - 2 to 6 inches (Bt horizon).

Lithic contact - 6 inches (R horizon).

Particle-size control section - 0 to 6 inches (A and Bt horizons).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 9/2006. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.