LOCATION SAWMILLCAN              NV

Established Series
REV: DJM/TM/CAH/ET
12/2015

SAWMILLCAN SERIES

The Sawmillcan series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from limestone and dolomitic limestone. The Sawmillcan soils are on backslopes and footslopes of mountains. Slopes range from 30 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 355 millimeters (14 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 12 degrees C. (54 degrees F.)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Pachic Calciustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Sawmillcan extremely gravelly slightly decomposed plant material, on a east by northeast facing aspect (69 degrees), 33 percent slope at an elevation of 2544 meters. When described on 6/4/2009 the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. The soil surface is covered by 50 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones.

Oi--0 to 4 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly slightly decomposed plant material, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 60 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 centimeters thick)

A--4 to 17 centimeters (2 to 7 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky parting to moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent (19 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 15 centimeters thick)

ABk1--17 to 57 centimeters (7 to 22 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine through very coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; 1 percent fine calcium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent (27 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.

ABk2--57 to 76 centimeters (22 to 30 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and common very fine, medium and very coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; 3 percent fine calcium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments; 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (33 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the ABk horizons is 35 to 60 centimeters thick)

Bk--76 to 90 centimeters (30 to 35 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine through very coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; 40 percent coarse, prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), moist, and white (10YR 8/1), dry, calcium carbonate masses, noncemented, with sharp boundaries?; 35 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (27 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 25 centimeters thick)

R--90 centimeters (35 inches); indurated limestone bedrock with fractures 20 centimeters apart.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; approximately 16 kilometers north and 10 kilometers east of Corn Creek Station, Nevada, located in the Sheep Range approximately 1.2 kilometers east of Sheep Peak; about 430 meters north and 517 meters west of Sec. 34, T. 15 S., R. 60 E.; USGS Sheep Peak, Nevada 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees, 34 minutes, 58.4 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 14 minutes, 4.8 seconds west longitude; UTM 11S 657934e 4050052n (DTM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in late winter and early spring and intermittently moist in the upper part following summer convection storms; aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.

Soil temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C. (47 to 54 degrees F.)

Depth to base of mollic epipedon: 50 to 85 centimeters.
Depth to calcic horizon: 15 to 90 centimeters.
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 centimeters.

Control section -
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: averages 50 to 80 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles.
Calcium carbonate equivalent of the less than 20 millimeter fraction: 40 to 60 percent.

Oi horizon -
Organic matter: 25 to 80 percent.
Bulk density: 0.5 to 1.0.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist.

ABk horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist.
Structure: weak or moderate subangular blocky.
Texture: Sandy loam or loam.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, mainly gravel with 5 to 10 percent cobbles.
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 25 to 35 percent.

Bk horizon -
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent cobbles and gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 30 to 45 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Sawmillcan soils are on backslopes and footslopes of mountains. Slopes range from 30 to 75 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from limestone and dolomitic limestone. Elevations are 2,150 to 2,920 meters (7,050 to 9,580 feet). The climate is sub-humid continental, cool, with moist winters and common summer convection storms. The mean annual precipitation is 320 to 420 millimeters ; mean annual air temperature is 10 to 14 degrees C., and the frost-free season 100 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Seralin and Hiddenforest soils on mountain backslopes. The Hiddenforest soils formed in quartzite parent material and have an argillic horizon. Seralin soils are shallow tolimestone bedrock.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for used for forest and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, white fir, black sagebrush, muttongrass and Indian paintbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Desert National Wildlife Refuge Area, Nevada, South Part, Clark County, Nevada, 2011. The name is coined from Sawmill Canyon, on the east side of Hayford Peak within the Desert National Wildlife Refuge.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 76 centimeters (0 to 30 inches) (A, ABk1 and ABk2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - 17 to 90 centimeters (7 to 35 inches) (ABk1, Abk2 and the Bk horizons).
Lithic contact - the zone beginning at 90 centimeters (35 inches) (R horizon).
Particle-size control section - 25 to 90 centimeters (10 to 35 inches) ( the lower part of the ABk1, the ABk2 and Bk horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: The USER PEDON ID is 07NV786304TM and was described on 6/4/2009.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2011. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.