LOCATION SALTMOUNT CA+NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplosalids
TYPICAL PEDON: Saltmount silty clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bz1--2 to 8 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; strong very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent salt crystals; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Bz2--8 to 20 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent salt crystals; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
C1--20 to 33 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C2--33 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; many interstitial pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Modoc County, California; in Surprise Valley on the northeast side of Lower Lake near the California-Nevada state line; in nonsectionized township T. 39 N., R. 17 E.; USGS Eagleville 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 16 minutes 34.1 seconds north latitude and 120 degrees 01 minutes 05.2 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in winter and early spring, dry late May through November; Typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 60 to 70 percent.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Weak to strong very fine or fine subangular blocky or granular.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Salinity (EC): 50 to 100 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 50.
Bz1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Moderate or strong very fine to medium subangular blocky or fine and medium prismatic parting to subangular blocky.
Effervescence: Strongly or violently effervescent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salt content: 25 to 50 percent by volume.
Salinity (EC): 400 to 800 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 100 to 3000.
Bz2 horizon
Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Structure: Weak or moderate very fine or fine subangular blocky
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Salt content: 15 to 25 percent by volume.
Salinity (EC): 300 to 600 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 100 to 3000.
C1 and C2 horizons
Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Salinity (EC): 150 to 600 mmhos/cm
Sodicity (SAR): 100 to 3000.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Saltmount soils are on parna dunes and dissected lake plains. These soils formed in eolian deposits over lacustrine deposits. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 4,450 to 4,580 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 8 inches, the mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bighat, Crutcher, and Raglan soils. Bighat soils have natric horizons. Crutcher soils have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are saturated at a depth of 40 to 60 inches at some time during the year. Raglan soils have 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to high surface runoff; moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Saltmount soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly a very sparse stand of black greasewood and rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California and northwestern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 23.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area, California and Nevada, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 2 inches (A horizon).
Salic horizon - The zone from 2 to 60 inches (Bz1, Bz2, C1, and C2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (C1 horizon and parts of the Bz2 and C2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: A reference pedon of Saltmount near the series type location has partial characterization data by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S03CA-049-001 (pedon # 04N0239).