LOCATION POORCAL                 NV

Established Series
Rev: OAC/CEJ/GJS/JBF
11/2016

POORCAL SERIES

The Poorcal series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived primarily from sedimentary rocks with a component of loess and volcanic ash. Poorcal soils are on alluvial fans, fan skirts, inset fans and inset fan remnants. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Poorcal loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many medium and fine vesicular, many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many medium and fine vesicular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

Bw--13 to 36 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Bqk--36 to 74 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent very hard, firm, and brittle durinodes; 15 percent gravel; thick carbonate and silica coats on bottom of rock fragments; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 53 cm thick)

2Bqk--74 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) very gravelly loamy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent very hard, firm, and brittle durinodes; 35 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6)

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; about 18 miles west of Eureka and approximately 3 miles south of the intersection of US 50 and Antelope Road, 25 feet west of Antelope Road; 1,000 feet south and 1,000 feet west of the northeast corner of section 25, T. l9 N., R. 50 E.; USGS Kitchen Meadow 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 17 minutes 16 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.4994444 latitude, -116.2877778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry mid June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to calcic horizon: 20 to 50 cm.
Depth to 2Bqk horizon: 74 to 100 cm.
Carbonates - 15 to 35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in calcic horizons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 5 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel, when mixed.

A horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Consistence: Very friable or friable, moist.

Bw horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, dry.

Bqk horizon
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Gravelly sandy loam, loam or gravelly loam.
Durinodes: 20 to 50 percent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.

2Bqk horizon
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Very gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly sandy loam or
very gravelly loam.
Durinodes: 20 to 40 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Derwell series. Derwell soils have a calcic horizon within 3 to 10 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Poorcal soils are on alluvial fans, fan skirts, inset fans and inset fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from calcareous rocks with a component of loess and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Elevations are 1,895 to 2,135 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with moist winters and dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm; mean annual temperature is 7 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lopwash, Pedoli, and Shipley soils. All of these soils lack a calcic horizon. Pedoli soils also have an argillic horizon with more than 18 percent clay.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, small rabbitbrush, winterfat, and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. These soils are
not extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, l983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 18 cm (A, Bw and part of the Bqk horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 13 to 36 cm (Bw horizon).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 36 to 74 cm (Bqk horizon).
Duric horizon - The zone from 36 to 74 cm (Bqk horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bqk horizon and parts of the Bw and 2Bqk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.