LOCATION OXVALLEY NV

Established Series
Rev. CWL/BKP/JBF
02/2012

OXVALLEY SERIES

The Oxvalley series consists of moderately deep to bedrock, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from welded tuff and minor amounts of quartzite. Oxvalley soils are on northern backslopes of mountains. Slopes range from 15 to 45 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 450 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic Pachic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Oxvalley gravelly ashy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles.

A1--0 to 10 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), gravelly ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium interstitial and tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary.

A2--10 to 40 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2), gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium interstitial and tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 25 to 50 cm)

Bt1--40 to 66 cm; brown (10YR 5/3), very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and common fine roots; common very fine, few fine and medium interstitial and tubular pores; common faint and few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--66 to 92 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), very cobbly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine, fine, and medium interstitial and tubular pores; common distinct and few prominent clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 30 to 60 cm)

R--92 cm; indurated fractured welded tuff.

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; about 23 miles east of Pioche, approximately 1 miles south of Ox Valley and 0.5 miles east of Mahogany Peak, and 100 feet below a BLM trend plot; USGS Deer Lodge Canyon 7.5 minute quadrangle; Sec. 07, T.01N., R.71E.; latitude 37 degrees 57 minutes 52.4 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 04 minutes 3.4 seconds W; UTM zone 11, 757608e, 4205940n; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days in July and August, but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 5 to 7 degrees C.
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 40 to 66 cm.
Depth to argillic horizon: 8 to 45 cm.
Thickness of argillic horizon: 30 to 60 cm.
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 50 percent.

A horizons
Value: 3 through 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3 dry or moist.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Mineralogy: 12 to 24 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction and averages 0.05 to 0.09 percent Al plus Fe, extracted by ammonium oxalate.

Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist.
Rock fragments: averages 35 to 50 percent mainly cobbles. Some pedons contain sub-horizons that are dominantly gravel.
Texture: Clay loam or clay.
Organic matter content: 1 to 2 percent.
Mineralogy: 5 to 12 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction and averages 0.05 to 0.15 percent Al plus Fe, extracted by ammonium oxalate.
Structure: Moderate or strong, medium or coarse subangular blocky or angular blocky structure. Prismatic structure in lower horizons of some pedons.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Castino, Doughspon, Friedman and Winnemucca series.

Castino soils average greater than 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Doughspon, Friedman, and Winnemucca soils are greater than 100 cm to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Oxvalley soils are on northern aspects of slightly concave mountain backslopes. Slopes range from 15 to 45 percent. Oxvalley soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from welded tuff with high silica content and minor amounts of quartzite. Elevation ranges from 2,380 to 2,750 meters. The climate is dry sub-humid with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 400 to 500 mm and the mean annual air temperature ranges from 3 to 6 degrees C. The frost-free period ranges from 40 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Denpark, Hamtah and Schoolmarm series. Denpark soils contain 18 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Hamtah soils are deep and very deep to bedrock. Schoolmarm soils are 25 to 50 cm deep to a lithic contact and have an aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Oxvalley soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is muttongrass, low sagebrush, Utah serviceberry and mountain snowberry. This pedon is correlated to Ecological Site Description Moist Clay Pan 12-16 P.Z., R028AY131NV.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East Central Nevada, U.S.A.; These soils are not extensive. The series concept is in MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County (Meadow Valley Area, NV713), Nevada, 2010. The name is derived from a local valley.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 66 cm (A1 and A2 horizons and the upper part of the Bt1 horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 40 to 92 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The contact at 92 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 40 to 90 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: User Pedon ID# 09NV613013-CWL

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.