LOCATION PICKUP NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. JBF-EWB-TM-JVC
05/2016

PICKUP SERIES

The Pickup series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Pickup soils are on rock pediments, hills, mountains, and plateaus. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Aridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Pickup very stony loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 10 percent stones and 10 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular, and common very fine vesicular pores; 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

AB--5 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; few faint clay bridges on sand grains; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

Bt1--20 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and roots; common very fine tubular pores and few very fine interstitial pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 45 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Bt2--30 to 69 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine through coarse roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (25 to 50 cm thick)

Bt3--69 to 86 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 cm thick)

R--86 cm; hard basalt; slightly weathered in upper few cm.

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; about 1 mile southwest of the Smoke Creek Station; approximately 240 feet south and 1,830 feet west of the projected northeast corner of section 21, T. 31 N., R. 18 E.; USGS Smoke Creek Ranch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 32 minutes 27.3 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 57 minutes 25.6 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.5409167 latitude, -119.9580556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 50 cm; includes the Bt1 horizon.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a lithic contact.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 55 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly pebbles and cobbles. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt, andesite, rhyolite, and tuff.

A and AB horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.

Bt1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay loam or very gravelly clay.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Structure: Prismatic, angular blocky, or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard; friable or very friable; moderately sticky or very sticky and moderately plastic or very plastic.
Other features: In some pedons, this horizon is part of the mollic epipedon when chroma is less than 4.

Bt2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Structure: Prismatic or subangular blocky.
Clay content: 50 to 60 percent.
Reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bt3 horizon
Texture: Very gravelly clay or very gravelly clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock Fragments: 35 to 60 percent
Other features: Some pedons have identifiable secondary carbonates as coats on rock fragments or filaments on faces of peds.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adelmann, Cassiro, Cochran, Eglirim, Fivesprings, Nammoth, and Ruclick series.

Adelmann, Cassiro, Cochran, and Eglirim soils do not have bedrock within 100 cm. Fivesprings and Ruclick soils do not have lower Bt horizons with 50 to 60 percent clay. Nammoth soils do not have subhorizons with more than 50 percent clay, have argillic horizons with moderately acid or slightly acid reaction, and have dominantly stones and boulders in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pickup soils are on rock pediments, hills, mountains, and plateaus. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,280 to 2,256 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 7 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 80 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bucklake, Old Camp, and Wylo soils. Bucklake soils are fine, moderately deep to lithic contacts, and have mollic epipedons and argillic horizons. Old Camp soils are loamy-skeletal, shallow to lithic contacts, and have argillic horizons. Wylo soils are clayey, shallow to lithic contacts, and have mollic epipedons and argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high or very high surface runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Pickup soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Lahontan sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, and Thurber's needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are extensive with about 155,000 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRAs 23 and 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County, Nevada, West Part, 1988. The series was proposed in Washoe County, Nevada, Central Part in 1979.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (A, AB, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 20 to 86 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 86 cm to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 20 to 70 cm (Bt1, Bt2 and the upper part of the Bt3 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS pedon and site ID 07NV771Y083amb.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.