LOCATION NOFET NV

Established Series
JBF/EWB
04/2017

NOFET SERIES

The Nofet series consists of very deep somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. The Nofet soils are on low river terraces and have slopes of less than 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Nofet very fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 10 cm; gray (10YR 5/1) very fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Btnk1--10 to 23 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine mostly exped roots; common very fine tubular pores; continuous distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; slightly effervescent matrix, few medium strongly effervescent soft masses of carbonate; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Btnk2--23 to 53 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; few medium prominent black (10YR 2/1) organic stains on peds; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; many very fine and fine roots, many very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; slightly effervescent matrix, few medium strongly effervescent soft masses of carbonate; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 33 cm thick)

Btnk3--53 to 74 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist, few fine prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) redox concentrations; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; common very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent matrix, common medium carbonate flecks; very strongly alkaline (pH9.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

C1--74 to 91 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist, few fine distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) redox concentrations; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films in pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)

C2--91 to 104 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

2C--104 to 137 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; many medium and large distinct very dark gray (5YR 3/1) moist, and many fine dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist redox depletions; massive; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 38 cm thick)

3C--137 to 157 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; many large prominent very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2) moist redox concentrations; massive; soft, very friable; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; about 150 meters north and 145 meters east of the southwest corner of section. 19, T. 14 N., R. 20 E.; Genoa 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 3 minutes 25.6 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 47 minutes 12 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.0571111 latitude, -119.7866667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist during winter and spring; dry in summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric. Saturated within 100 to 150 cm during the late winter and early spring in most years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 12 degrees C.
Other features: Unconformable gravel and sand are below a depth of 122 cm in some pedons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Upper 50 cm of the argillic horizon averages 27 to 35 percent clay.
Sand content: Less than 35 percent sand and less than 15 percent fine sand and coarser.
Rock fragments: Less than 10 percent.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
Reaction: Moderately or strongly alkaline.

Btnk1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay.
Clay content: 40 to 45 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
Effervescence: Slightly or strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Sodicity (SAR): 31 to 90.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 32 mmhos/cm.

Btnk2 and Btnk3 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay or clay loam.
Clay content: averages 27 to 35 percent.
Effervescence: Slightly or strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Sodicity (SAR): 31 to 90.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 32 mmhos/cm.

C horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Texture: Stratified fine sand through very fine sandy loam.
Clay content: Averages 2 to 8 percent.
Effervescence: Slightly or strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Sodicity (SAR): Less than 5.
Salinity (EC): Less than 4 mmhos/cm.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations or depletions occur as masses of iron or manganese accumulation or depletion in the matrix.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Knull, McDermott and Mellor soils.

Knull and McDermott soils lack saturation within 150 cm for some time during the year. In addition, Knull soils have a calcic horizon and have 18 to 27 percent clay in their particle-size control section, and McDermott soils have an SAR less than 30. Mellor soils lack stratified sandy material in their C horizons and have less than 35 percent clay in their Btnk horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nofet soils are on low terraces of the Carson River at elevations of 1,375 to 1,405 meters. Slopes are less than 2 percent but the terraces are cut by many deep broad drainage channels and sloughs. The soils formed in mixed alluvium derived from granite, basalt, rhyolite, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. The climate is cool, semiarid with a mean annual precipitation of about 200 to 250 mm that comes mostly in the winter and spring months, mean annual temperature is about 9 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free season is about 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dangberg, Godecke and Ormsby soils. Dangberg soils have fine textured particle-size control sections and have duripans. Godecke soils have fine-loamy particle-size control sections and a water table above 100 cm. Ormsby soils have sandy particle-size control sections.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; very low surface runoff; low saturated hydraulic conductivity. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 100 and 150 cm (deep or very deep free water occurrence classes) from December through May. Cumulative annual duration class is Common or Persistent. Some areas of these soils are susceptible to occasional flooding for brief periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: It is used primarily for grazing by livestock. The vegetation is principally saltgrass, black greasewood, big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, alkali sacaton, bluejoint ryegrass and giant wild ryegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Valleys in western Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: MLRA 26 update, Nevada 2012.

REMARKS: These soils were classified as Solonetz soils.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 10 cm (A horizon).
Natric horizon - The zone from 10 to 74 cm (Btnk1, Btnk2 and Btnk3 horizons)
Particle size control section - The zone from 10 to 61 cm (Btnk1, Btnk2 and upper Btnk3 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: SSIR N. 23.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.