LOCATION NYAK                    NV

Established Series
Rev. ET/IJR/RLB/JBF
11/2016

NYAK SERIES

The Nyak series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks over lacustrine sediments. The Nyak soils are on lake plains, beach plains and alluvial flats. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Duric Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Nyak fine sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A1--0 to 8 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium, few coarse roots; common medium interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--8 to 23 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine through coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; few, less than 1 mm diameter soft carbonate masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

Bqky--23 to 36 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine angular blocky; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium, few coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent durinodes; few, less than 1 mm diameter soft carbonate masses; few fine gypsum crystals; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 18 cm thick)

2Bqk1--36 to 76 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; few faint medium dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mottles; strong medium platy structure; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots between plates; few very fine and fine tubular pores; weak thin discontinuous laminar cap; 40 percent fine weak discontinuous silica cementation; 25 percent durinodes; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (36 to 50 cm thick)

2Bqk2--76 to 97 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; common fine prominent dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mottles; strong very fine through medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; very few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores and common fine interstitial pores; 40 percent weak discontinuous silica cementation; silica coats on ped faces; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate filaments in seams; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

3Bqk3--97 to 152 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; common distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; moderate thin platy structure; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few very fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 40 percent weak discontinuous silica cementation; common distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2)carbonate filaments; few distinct very dark brown (10YR 2/2) manganese stains; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0)

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; approximately 4 miles south of Highway 50 in Jakes Valley; in an unsectionized area about 2100 feet west and 300 feet north of the projected northwest corner of section 16, T.17N., R.60E.; USGS Waldy Pond 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 20 minutes 6 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 13 minutes 15 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.3350000 latitude -115.2208333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry late spring through fall; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to lacustrine sediments: 30 to 50 cm.
Depth to duric horizons: 30 to 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure: Thin platy or fine subangular blocky.

Bqky horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Other features: 10 to 30 percent 15 to 30 mm diameter durinodes and 1 to 10 percent fane or medium gypsum crystals.

2Bqk horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Stratified fine sandy loam through silty clay loam.
Other features: 10 to 30 percent, 15 to 30 mm diameter durinodes, in a matrix that is 20 to 60 percent discontinuous weakly carbonate-silica cemented.

3Bqk horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 4 or 5 moist.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beryl, Blimo, Bubus, Coldent, Linco, Okan and Valmy series.

Beryl and Bubus soils are slightly through strongly saline-alkaline. Blimo soils have continuous weakly cemented subhorizons. Coldent soils have 4 to 10 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Linco soils are 10 to 20 cm to duric horizons and have 20 to 35 percent rock fragments. Okan soils have sandy or sandy-skeletal horizons within 100 cm. Valmy lacks gypsum crystals.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nyak soils are on lake plains, beach plains and alluvial flats. These soils formed in mixed alluvium over lacustrine sediments. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 1,830 to 2,020 meters. The climate is cool, semi-arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm; mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C.; and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Heist and Uwell series. Heist soils lack cementation. Uwell soils are fine-loamy and lack cementation.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East Central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, Western Part, 1988.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 18 inches (A1 and part of the A2 horizons).
Duric feature - The zone from about 23 to 97 cm (Bqky, 2Bqk1, 2Bqk2 horizons).
Xeric feature - Aridic soil moisture regime bordering on Xeric.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (part of the Bqky, 2Bqk1, 2Bqk2, and part of the 3Bqk3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.