LOCATION NORTHMORE NV
Established Series
Rev. JVC-JBF
04/2017
NORTHMORE SERIES
The Northmore series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous rocks. Northmore soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Northmore sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 3 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)
A2--3 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary (5 to 10 cm thick)
A3--8 to 15 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
A4--15 to 28 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)
Bt1--28 to 38 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films bridging sand grains and lining pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
Bt2--38 to 48 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
Btq--48 to 76 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many faint and few distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 15 percent durinodes; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)
BCt--76 to 114 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (25 to 50 cm thick)
C1--114 to 137 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)
C2--137 to 152 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; in Golden Valley about 5 miles north of Reno; approximately 1,000 feet north and 1,000 feet east of the southwest corner of section 10, T. 20 N., R. 19 E.; USGS Reno 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 36 minutes 36 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 50 minutes 31 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.6100000 latitude, -119.8419444 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 40 cm; does not include the Bt1 horizon.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 90 to 115 cm.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent. Lithology of fragments are igneous rocks such as granodiorite and andesite.
A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Reaction: Moderately acid through neutral.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Bt1 horizon
Hue 7.5YR or 10YR.
Texture: Sandy loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Bt2 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy clay but includes thin layers of sandy clay loam or discontinuous thin layers of prismatic clay in some pedons.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Reaction: Moderately acid through neutral.
Btq horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy clay but includes thin layers of sandy clay loam or discontinuous thin layers of prismatic clay in some pedons.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Reaction: Moderately acid through neutral.
Durinodes: 5 to 15 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Brownscombe,
Bucklake,
Cagle,
Correco,
Holmzie,
Jasseek,
Perla,
Schoer,
Sherar,
Wicup, and
Zymans series.
Brownscombe,
Cagle,
Holmzie,
Sherar, and
Wicup soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts.
Bucklake and
Perla soils are moderately seep to lithic contacts.
Correco soils have less than 15 percent coarse and very coarse sand in the particle-size control section.
Jasseek soils have less than 45 percent sand in the particle-size control section and do not have subhorizons of the argillic with durinodes.
Schoer soils are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline and have sandy-skeletal material within depths of 100 cm.
Zymans soils have 45 to 60 percent clay and less than 15 percent coarse and very coarse sand in the particle-size control section and do not have sandy loam C horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Northmore soils are on fan remnants that are somewhat dissected by intermittent drainageways. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous rocks such as granodiorite and andesite. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,375 to 1,680 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 9 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cassiro,
Greenbrae,
Indian Creek, and
Wedekind soils. Cassiro soils have more than 35 percent gravel in the Bt2 horizon. Greenbrae soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Indian Creek soils have a duripan. Wedekind soils are underlain by weathered andesite at 25 to 50 cm.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or high surface runoff; slow permeability; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Northmore soils are used for rangeland, recreation, and urban development. The vegetation consists of Wyoming big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, horsebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, and annuals. This pedon is correlated to R026XY010NV, Loamy 10-12" P.Z.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 2,200 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 26.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County (South Part), Nevada, 1980.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 28 cm (A1, A2, A3, and A4 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 28 to 114 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Btq, and BCt horizons).
Durinodes - The zone from 48 to 76 cm (Btq horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 28 to 78 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Btq horizons and part of the BCt horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Previous authors and editors include: LIL-ELS-WED.
User pedon ID: 2006NV031083.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.