LOCATION PRISONEAR               NV

Established Series
Rev. LJL/TM/RB
12/2015

PRISONEAR SERIES

The Prisonear series consists of moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in eolian sands over alluvium from limestone. Prisonear soils are on sand sheets over fan remnants. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 6 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 60 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, thermic Calcic Petrocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Prisonear fine sand, rangeland and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 10 percent pebbles.

A--0 to 3 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine vesicular pores; 10 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent (18 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

Bk1--3 to 9 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent pebbles; many, fine, distinct, calcium carbonate coats on the undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent (18 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

Bk2--9 to 31 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) gravelly loamy fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 30 percent pebbles; many, fine, distinct calcium carbonate coats on the undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent (18 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick)

Bkq--31 to 35 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loamy fine sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; many medium and coarse calcium carbonate and silica cemented nodules and pan fragments, weakly cemented; 45 percent pebbles; violently effervescent (30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)

2Bkqm1--35 to 41 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) continuous weak petrocalcic horizon, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, weakly cemented.

2Bkqm2--41 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) continuous indurated petrocalcic horizon, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; approximately 2 1/2 miles due south of Jean, Nevada in Ivanpah Valley; about 2,630 feet north and 2,130 feet west of the southeast corner of section 25, T. 25 S., R. 59 E.; USGS Roach, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 35 degrees, 44 minutes, 34.9 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 18 minutes, 58 seconds west longitude; UTM 11s, 652262e, 3956754n; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July to October following convection storms. The soils have an aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature - 59 to 65 degrees F.

Depth to petrocalcic horizon - 30 to 40 inches.

Control section - Percent clay: 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel and pan fragments.

Bk1 horizon - Texture: Fine sand or loamy fine sand.
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent gravel and pan fragments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 10 to 25 percent.

Bk2 horizon - Texture: Fine sand or loamy fine sand.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel and pan fragments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 10 to 25 percent.
Other features: Identifiable secondary calcium carbonate as coats or soft filaments.


Bkq horizon - Rock fragments: 35 to 55 percent, mainly gravel and pan fragments. Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 20 to 35 percent.
Other features: 20 to 70 percent calcium carbonate and silica cementation.

2Bkqm1 horizon - Cementation class: Weakly or moderately cemented.
Consistence: Hard to moderately hard, dry, and very firm to extremely firm, moist.
Cementation: More than 75 percent of pan is destroyed by soaking in acid.

2Bqkm2 horizon - Cementation class: Indurated or very strongly cemented.
Cementation: More than 75 percent of pan is destroyed by soaking in acid.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Prisonear soils are on sand sheets over fan remnants. These soils formed in eolian sands over alluvium from limestone. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. Elevations are 2600 to 3200 feet. The climate is hot and arid with warm, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 5 to 7 inches; mean annual air temperature is 57 to 63 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 180 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Weiser and Wechech series. Weiser and Wechech soils have loamy-skeletal control sections. Wechech soils are shallow to a petrocalcic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly big galleta, Indian ricegrass, white bursage, winterfat and range ratany.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada. MLRA 30. These soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County Area, Nevada, 2006. Proposed in Clark County, Nevada, 1993. The name is coined from the Southern Nevada Correctional Center located nearby.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - 0 to 3 inches (A horizon).
Calcic horizon - 3 to 35 inches (Bk1, Bk2 and Bkq horizons ).
Petrocalcic horizon - 35 to 60 inches (2Bkqm1 and 2Bkqm2 horizons).
Particle-size control section -10 to 35 inches (Bkq and part of the Bk2 horizons).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 10/2006. ET

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.