LOCATION SCALFAR NV

Established Series
Rev. JVC/JBF
12/2014

SCALFAR SERIES

The Scalfar series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from volcanic rocks with a component of loess. Scalfar soils are on mountains, hills, and fan remnants. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Scalfar very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 35 percent gravel and 5 percent with cobbles.

A--0 to 5 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine vesicular and common fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--5 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine and common fine tubular pores; many faint clay films lining pores, bridging mineral grains, and as colloid stains on mineral grains; 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bt2--13 to 33 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; many faint clay films lining pores, bridging mineral grains, and as colloid stains on mineral grains; 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

2Bw--33 to 64 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many silt coats on rock fragments; 45 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (33 to 46 cm thick)

2Bkq--64 to 94 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; many fine coats of secondary carbonates and silica on bottoms of gravel; secondary carbonates also segregated in common fine and medium masses; slightly effervescent matrix and violently effervescent carbonates; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 38 cm thick)

2Bk--94 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; secondary carbonates segregated as many fine to coarse masses and many coats on rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 27 miles north of Wells in the Snake Mountains; about 2,000 feet south and 800 feet east of the northwest corner of section 36, T. 43 N., R. 61 E.; USGS Stormy Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 34 minutes 31 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 01 minutes 41 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist from late fall through early summer, dry from July through October; xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 7 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 36 cm; includes the Bt horizons.
Depth to argillic horizon: 3 to 8 cm.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 25 to 36 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon: 53 to 90 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as tuff.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.

Bt horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

2Bw horizon
Texture: Very cobbly loam or extremely cobbly loam.
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

2Bkq and 2Bk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely cobbly sandy loam, extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam, or extremely gravelly sandy loam.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amelar, Broad, Custco, Dra, Drage, Milk, Rawnjay, Remount, Searla, Sheep Creek, Small, and Swampydraw series.

Amelar soils have depth to base of the argillic horizon of 38 to 50 cm and have secondary carbonates in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Broad, Milk, Sheep Creek, and Small soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Custco soils have argillic horizons with 18 to 27 percent clay and Bk horizons that directly underlie the argillic horizon. Dra soils have 40 to 50 cm thick mollic epipedon. Drage soils have the upper boundary of the argillic horizon at depths below 13 cm and have Bk horizons that directly underlie the base of the argillic at depths of 46 to 94 cm. Rawnjay soils have the upper boundary of the argillic horizon at depths below 13 cm and have a typic xeric moisture regime. Remount soils do not have calcic horizons and average more than 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Searla soils have depth to base of the argillic horizon of 64 to 127 cm and have secondary carbonates in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Swampydraw soils have mean annual soil temperature of 3 to 6 degrees C and have Bk horizons that directly underlie the base of the argillic horizon at depths of 46 to 58 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Scalfar soils are on mountains, hills, and fan remnants, typically summit positions. These soils formed in colluvium derived from volcanic rocks such as tuff with a component of loess. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 1,830 to 2,445 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 330 to 380 mm, the mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 65 to 95 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pequop, Shalcleav, and Tweener soils. Pequop soils have the base of the argillic horizon at 40 to 150 cm from the soil surface and do not have calcic horizons. Shalcleav and Tweener soils are very shallow and shallow to lithic contacts and do not have identifiable secondary carbonates.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Scalfar soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly black sagebrush, low sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, Idaho fescue, Thurber's needlegrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County (Northeast Part), Nevada, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 28 cm (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 33 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 64 to 152 cm (2Bk1 and 2Bk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 28 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Previous editors and editors include: RWD-STD-RLB.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.