LOCATION NEWPASS                 NV

Established Series
Rev.CEJ/GJS/JBF
03/2016

NEWPASS SERIES

The Newpass series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum derived from volcanic and metavolcanic rocks with additions of loess. The Newpass soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Natrixeralfic Natridurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Newpass very gravelly fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partially covered by approximately 75 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 10 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine vesicular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Btn1--10 to 18 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; continuous prominent clay films on ped faces and lining pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

Btn2--18 to 36 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium, common very fine exped roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; continuous prominent clay films on ped faces and lining pores; carbonate coats on underside of gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 23 cm thick)

Btk--36 to 43 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; common medium soft masses of carbonate; carbonate and silica coats on undersides of gravel; continuous distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

Bqk--43 to 61 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly silty clay; brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; l5 percent gravel, 40 percent cobbles; common medium soft masses of carbonate and silica coating rock fragments; 30 percent weak discontinuous silica cementation; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 cm thick)

Bqkm--61 to 66 cm; strongly cemented duripan with thin discontinuous laminar cap; very hard, very firm; violently effervescent; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 30 cm thick)

R--66 cm; rhyolite.

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; approximately 6 miles northwest of Austin, about 100 feet south and 400 feet west of the northeast corner of section 36, T. 20 N., R. 42 E.; USGS Vigus Butte 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 33 minutes 44 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 11 minutes 42 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.5622222 latitude, -117.1950000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry mid-June through October; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to duripan: 50 to 74 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 53 to 90 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 45 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages l5 to 35 percent, with less than l5 percent mainly gravel in the upper part and 25 to 50 percent mainly gravel and cobbles in the lower part.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Platy or subangular blocky.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through moderately alkaline.

Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR. Value: 4 or 5 dry (may be 6 in the upper part), 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline, commonly increasing with depth.
Exchangeable sodium - Upper subhorizons: l5 to 30 percent. Lower subhorizons: 5 to l5 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Filiran series. The Cortez and Timpahute series are similar. The Cortez and Timpahute soils have an indurated duripan. Filiran soils lack bedrock within 100 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Newpass soils are on hill and mountain side slopes. The soils formed in residuum derived from volcanic and metamorphic rocks, influenced by additions of loess. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,525 to 2,135 meters. The climate is cool and semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, mean annual temperature is 8 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jung, McVegas and Old Camp soils. Jung soils lack a duripan and are less than 50 cm to bedrock. McVegas soils have a duripan at a depth of less than 50 cm. Old Camp soils have very cobbly loam Bt horizons, lack a duripan and are less than 50 cm to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Thurber needlegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. The soils are of moderate extent. MLRA 24 and 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, Nevada, South Part, 1985.

REMARKS: The series has been revised and Type Location moved to better reflect the series as mapped.

Diagnostic horizions and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 10 cm (A horizon).
Natric horizon - The zone from 10 to 36 cm (Btn1 and Btn2 horizons).
Strongly cemented duripan - The zone from 61 to 66 cm (Bqkm horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 66 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 43 cm (Btn1, Btn2, and Btk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.