LOCATION NIPPENO                 NV

Established Series
Rev. LJL/TM/ET
12/2015

NIPPENO SERIES

The Nippeno series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium from metamorphic and altered granitic rocks. Nippeno soils are on mountains. Slope ranges from 8 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches and mean annual temperature is about 54 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal over fragmental, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Nippeno very gravelly loam, rangeland and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 70 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bt--2 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine and fine tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 40 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)

2C--6 to 15 inches; gravel; retains rock structure; few very fine and fine roots; few faint clay films coating rock fragments; 95 percent angular pebbles. (5 to 14 inches thick)

2R--15 inches; slightly fractured hard metamorphic bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; approximately 3.8 miles southwest of the Walking Box Ranch and 1 mile southeast of Clarks Well in the New York Mountains; about 500 feet east and 1,400 feet north of the southwest corner of section 31, T. 28 S., R. 62 E.; 35 degrees, 27 minutes and 41 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 5 minutes and 40 seconds west longitude; USGS Hopps Well, NV-CA 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11, 672911e, 392588n; NAD 83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry, intermittently moist in some part from November to March and intermittently moist for 20 to 30 days cumulative during July to October following summer convection storms. Soils have an aridic moisture regime that boarders on ustic.

Soil temperature - 53 to 58 degrees F.

Depth to contrasting fragmental material - 5 to 10 inches.

Depth to lithic contact - 14 to 20 inches.

Other features - Contrasting layer: Bt horizon has 35 percent or more fine earth by volume than the 2C horizon.

Control section - Percent clay: 20 to 35 percent in the upper part.

Rock fragments: Average 35 to 60 percent in the upper part; 90 to 100 percent in the contrasting lower part. Rock fragments are mainly gravel derived from metamorphosed granitic rocks.

A horizon - Value: 3 or 4 moist.

Chroma: 3 or 4.

Bt horizon - Value: 3 or 4 moist.

Texture: Sandy clay loam, loam or clay loam.

Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.

Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent mainly gravel.

Structure: Subangular blocky or angular blocky.

Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

2C horizon - Texture: gravel

Structure - retains structure of original rock that has fractured and weathered in place. 95 percent fine angular gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nippeno soils are on mountains. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from metamorphic and altered granitic rocks. Slope ranges from 8 to 50 percent. Elevations are 3,500 to 6,500 feet. The climate is warm and arid with cool, moist winters and warm, intermittently moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 7 to 9 inches; mean annual temperature is 51 to 57 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 130 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mountmcull series. Mountmcull soils lack an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very high runoff, moderately slow permeability.

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

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: Clark County Area, Nevada, 2006. Proposed in Clark County, Nevada, 1994. The name is from Nippeno Mine located 3 miles to the northwest.

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 - 15 inches (R horizon).

Particle-size control section - 2 to 15 inches (Bt and 2C horizons).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 7/2006. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.