LOCATION SAMOR                   NV

Established Series
Rev. DWW/PWB/RLB/JBF
10/2019

SAMOR SERIES

The Samor series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone. Samor soils occur on hills and mountains. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Xeric Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Samor very gravelly loam--woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 20 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles.

A1--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

A2--8 to 15 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bk--15 to 48 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine, common medium roots; common fine tubular pores; many medium carbonate pendants on the undersides of rock fragments; 20 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2) abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 38 cm thick)

R--48 cm; unweathered limestone; with discontinuous, very fractured, 0.5 to 2.5 cm thick carbonate pan on bedrock surface.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 10 miles west of Elko, approximately 1,200 feet north and 2,200 feet east of the southwest corner of section 25, T. 34 N., R. 53 E.; USGS Hunter 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 48 minutes 02 N and longitude 115 degrees 57 minutes 42 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.8005556 latitude, -115.9616667 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: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to Bk horizon: 10 to 23 cm.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent.

Particles-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel or cobbles with a few stones.

A horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

Bk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Very gravelly loam or very cobbly loam.
Structure: Weak fine or medium subangular blocky, moderate fine to coarse subangular blocky or is massive.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Kinghorn, Murphill, Saxby and Soma series.

Kinghorn soils has hue 5YR or 7.5YR throughout their profile. Murphill and Soma soils have less 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Saxby soils have Bw horizons and are 28 to 38 cm deep to Bk horizons. .

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Samor soils are on hills and mountains. They formed in residuum and colluvium from limestone. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,590 to 2,260 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C, and frost-free season is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Grina, Hopeka, and Rad soils. Grina soils lack a calcic horizon. Hopeka soils have carbonatic mineralogy. Rad soils are very deep and have coarse-silty particle size control section.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally Utah juniper, Wyoming big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Douglas rabbitbrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, phlox and arrowleaf balsamroot.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, Central Part. 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm. (A1, A2 and part of the Bk horizons)
Xeric intergrades - Meets organic carbon requirement for xeric.
Calcic horizon - The zone from 15 to 48 cm. (Bk horizon)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 48 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 48 cm. (Part of the Bk horizon)

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.