LOCATION PREBLE NV

Established Series
Rev. LIL/MJZ/DD/JBF
03/2016

PREBLE SERIES

The Preble series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks and lake sediments with a component of pyroclastic materials. Preble soils are on basin floor remnants, alluvial flats and alluvial flat remnants. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Preble very fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 10 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

C--10 to 25 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)

Cq1--25 to 64 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) micaceous fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular, many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; continuous brittle matrix; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear smooth boundary. (25 to 43 cm thick)

Cq2--64 to 104 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular, many very fine interstitial pores; very thin silica films in some pores, few 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter very hard and very firm durinodes; strongly effervescent; continuous brittle matrix; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 60 cm thick)

Cqk--104 to 140 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial, few very fine tubular pores; common durinodes; few large pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) soft seams of carbonate; strongly effervescent; continuous brittle matrix; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (25 to 46 cm thick)

2C--140 to 165 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) micaceous gravelly sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) mottles, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; 25 percent fine gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, Nevada; approximately 3.5 miles southwest of Winnemucca on U.S. Highway 40, about 50 feet north of the road, about 800 feet east and 1,000 feet north of the southwest corner of section 2, T. 35 N., R. 37 E.; USGS Winnemucca West 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 56 minutes 00 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 47 minutes 33 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.9333333 latitude, -117.7925000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry July through October.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to continuous brittle matrix: 20 to 36 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 8 to 15 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

C, Cq and Cqk horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strong alkaline.
Texture: Very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Cementation: The Cq horizon has a continuously brittle matrix in the upper part and has 20 to 75 percent durinodes in some pedons.
Other features: Some pedons are underlain by sandy clay loam substrata below 100 cm.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Herjun, Sugun and Walkup series.

Herjun soils have a mean annual soil temperature warmer than 12 degrees C. Sugun and Walkup soils lack durinodes and a continuous brittle matrix.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Preble soils are on basin floor remnants, alluvial flats and alluvial flat remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks and lake sediments with a component of pyroclastic materials. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 1,220 to 1,525 meters. The climate is cool, arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 180 to 230 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ninch, Sonoma, and the competing Valmy soils. Ninch and Valmy soils are never saturated within depth of 150 cm and have a sandy particle-size control section. Sonoma soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very slow runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity. The seasonal high water table normally fluctuates between depths of 90 to 150 cm, but drained phases are recognized.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly black greasewood, rabbitbrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, inland saltgrass, cheatgrass and a few Torrey quailbush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt County (BLM Sonoma Planning Unit), Nevada. 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and the upper C horizon).
Duriorthidic feature - The soil has a continuous brittle matrix in the zone from 25 to 104 cm (Cq1 and Cq2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Cqk1 and part of the Cqk2 horizons.

The classification was changed from Aquic Durorthidic Torriorthents to Oxyaquic Torriorthents in 1993. The Durorthidic feature is not recognized with Oxyaquic in the 1992 edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy, but it is required for the series.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.