LOCATION SANWELL                 NV

Established Series
Rev. JR/RLB/WED
12/2015

SANWELL SERIES

The Sanwell series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in coarse lacustrine sediments. Sanwell soils are on relict alluvial flats and beach plains. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 61 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Duric Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Sanwell gravelly fine sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with about 30 percent pebbles, and 5 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 3 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine vesicular and few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)

Bk--3 to 9 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and coarse roots; many very fine and common fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; few very fine lime filaments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

Bqk1--9 to 16 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; loose and soft, loose and very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles; few weakly cemented silica-lime pendants on undersides of rock fragments; few fine gypsum crystals; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

Bqk2--16 to 31 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) very gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; massive; hard, firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent pebbles; continuous weak brittle matrix; silica and lime pendants on undersides of most pebbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); diffuse irregular boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)

C--31 to 61 inches; variegated pink (7.5YR 8/4) reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6), white (10YR 8/1) and very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam; massive; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 45 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; about 7 miles southeast of Lathrop Wells, about 1,600 feet west and 500 feet north of the southeast corner of section 11, T. 16 S., R. 50 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry. moist during the winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days during the month of July through October following summer convection storms.

Soil temperature - 64 to 72 degrees F.

Depth to continuous brittle matrix - 12 to 24 inches.


Control section - Clay content: 5 to 10 percent.

Rock fragments: Average 35 to 60 percent.


A horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry; 5 or 6 moist.

Chroma: 3 through 6.

Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.


Bk horizon - Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.

Chroma: 3 through 6.

Structure: Coarse or medium subangular blocky or is massive.

Texture of fine earth: Fine sandy loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam.

Other features: Some pedons have lime and silica coats on undersides of pebbles and few to common weakly cemented masses.


Bqk horizon - Value: 7 or 8 dry or moist.

Chroma: 1 through 5.

Dry consistence: Hard or very hard dry.

Cementation: Very weak or weak.


C horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.

Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.

Other features: Lacustrine deposits highly variable in color, consistence, stratification and lime content.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wilst (T NV) series. Wilst soils have a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sanwell soils are on relict alluvial flats and beach plains. These soils formed in coarse lacustrine sediments, underlain by variable stratified sediments. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. Elevations are 2,300 to 2,700 feet. The climate is arid, winters are cool and summers are hot and dry. Distribution of precipitation is relatively even with slight peaks in January and August. The average annual precipitation is 3 to 5 inches; average annual temperature is 63 to 70 degrees F., and the frost-free season is about 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Lewdlac series. Lewdlac soils have a shallow thin duripan and have a substratum composed of fine-textured lacustrine deposits.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally creosotebush, wolfberry, and shadscale with some desert pepperweed and desertholly.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Nevada. Sanwell soils are not extensive. MLRA 30.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Nye County, Nevada, Southwest Part, 1983. The name is coined.

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

Durorthidic subgroup features - continuous brittle matrix because of silica cementation in the zone from about 16 to 31 inches (Bqk horizon)

Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 9/2001. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.