LOCATION NIAVI                   NV

Established Series
Rev: TM/ET
12/2015

NIAVI SERIES

The Niavi series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in alluvium from quartzite with minor amounts of limestone, dolomite, shale and sandstone. Niavi soils are on stream terraces and inset fans. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 61 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, thermic Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Niavi extremely cobbly fine sandy loam, rangeland and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 40 percent pebbles, 40 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones.

A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine vesicular and few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 40 percent pebbles, 35 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; slightly effervescent (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bw--2 to 8 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 65 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

Bk1--8 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent distinct (< 0.2mm) patchy, calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 60 percent pebbles and 15 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--14 to 29 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stratified extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam to extremely gravelly coarse sand (averages extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand), brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 40 percent distinct (< 0.2mm), patchy, calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 5 percent thin lenses of fine pebbles; 80 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.

Bk3--29 to 35 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stratified extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam to extremely gravelly coarse sand (averages extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam), brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine through medium roots, few coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and few very fine and fine tubular pores; 3 percent fine and medium soft masses of calcium carbonate; 80 percent fine (< 0.5mm) calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments and 20 percent on sides and tops of rock fragments; 70 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.

Bk4--35 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) stratified extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam to extremely gravelly coarse sand (averages extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand), brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent distinct (< 0.5mm), patchy, calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 60 percent pebbles and 15 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (Combined thickness of Bk horizons is 40 to more than 60 inches.)

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; about 3 miles east of Crystal; approximately 300 feet north and 600 feet west of the southeast corner of section 12, T. 17 S., R. 52 E.; USGS Mt. Schader, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees, 28 minutes, 55 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 04 minutes, 17 seconds west longitude; UTM 11s, 583179e, 4037811n; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring. The ratio of summer to winter actual evapotranspiration is about 0.4, typical of the Mojave desert. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 59 to 64 degrees F.
Depth to Bk horizon: 6 to 9 inches.

Control section - Rock fragments: average 60 to 85 percent, mainly quartzite gravel, with up to 20 percent quartzite cobbles and up to 5 percent stones.
Clay content: 3 to 8 percent.
Texture: Stratified, averages loamy sand, loamy coarse sand or coarse sand in the less than 2 mm fraction.

A horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Platy or subangular blocky.
Effervescence: very slightly effervescent through slightly effervescent.

Bw horizon - Value: 5 through 7 dry.
Texture: Coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 40 to 75 percent, mainly quartzite gravel.
Effervescence: Very slightly effervescent through strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 3 percent.

Bk horizons - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Stratified, averages coarse sand, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand; individual strata range from very gravelly sandy loam to extremely gravelly coarse sand, and includes strata of gravel in some pedons.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent, mainly quartzite gravel.
Structure: Single grain or massive; some pedons have thin layers with weak subangular blocky structure in the upper part.
Consistence: Loose or soft, dry; loose or very friable, moist.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 12 percent; subhorizons more than 15 cm thick have 5 percent or more.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Fine and medium soft masses and patchy or continuous coatings up to 1 millimeter thick on rock fragments. Volume as seen on the vertical face of the horizon ranges from 1 to 10 percent, with subhorizons more than 15 cm thick having volume of 5 percent or more.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Caliza, Eastland, Redo, Shelley, and Tonopah series. Caliza soils lack Bw horizons and have a Chihuahuan desert climate with significant summer moisture. Eastland soils lack Bw horizons, have mean annual soil temperature of 64 to 71 degrees and rock fragments are not dominated by quartzite. Redo soils lack Bw horizons, have mean annual soil temperature of 65 to 72 degrees, have Sonoran desert climate, and rock fragments are not dominated by quartzite. Shelley soils lack Bw horizons, and have rock fragments that are not dominated by quartzite. Tonopah soils lack Bw horizons, have mean annual soil temperature of 63 to 71 degrees and calcium carbonate equivalent of the Bk horizons is 10 to 40 percent.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Niavi soils are on stream terraces and inset fans. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from quartzite with minor amounts of limestone, dolomite, shale and sandstone. Elevations are 3,000 to 4,700 feet. The climate is typical of the Mojave desert with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 8 inches; mean annual air temperature is 57 to 61 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 200 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Canoto, Jonnic and Zibate soils. Canoto soils have loamy-skeletal particle-size class, lack calcic horizons and are on inset fans and fan skirts. Jonnic soils are moderately deep over duripans, have argillic horizons and are on stable fan remnants. Zibate soils have argillic horizons, shallow lithic contacts and are on hills and mountains.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Niavi soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Mojave buckwheat, big galleta, ephedra, Virgin River encelia, desert needlegrass and creosotebush.

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: Nye County, Nevada, Southwest Part Soil Survey, 2001. The name is from Niavi Wash.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 7 inches (A and part of the Bw horizon).
Calcic horizon - 29 to 35 inches (Bk3 horizon).
Particle-size control section -- 10 to 40 inches (Part of the Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 and part of the Bk4 horizons).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2005. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.