LOCATION SCHOER                  NV

Established Series
Rev. PWB/RLB/JBF
11/2019

SCHOER SERIES

The Schoer series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. The Schoer soils are on fan piedmonts. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Schoer loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 5 percent gravel.

A--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; dark gray (10YR 4/1) organic coats on ped faces; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

Bt1--8 to 20 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; few pressure faces; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 18 cm thick)

Bt2--20 to 41 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; common pressure faces; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

2Bt--41 to 58 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores and common pressure faces; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

3Bt--58 to 84 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few very faint clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)

4C--84 to 152 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 55 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; Approximately 7 miles south of Wells, Nevada; 200 feet north and 1800 feet west of the southeast corner of section 8, T. 36 N., R. 62 E.; USGS Wells 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 114 degrees 59 minutes, 23 seconds N and longitude 41 degrees 00 minutes 36 seconds; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.0099861 latitude, -114.9897222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 43 cm.
Depth to argillic horizon: 8 to 25 cm.
Depth to 4C: 76 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 10 to 20 percent gravel.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bt horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3.
Texture: Clay loam or clay.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Sand content: Less than 15 percent coarse and very coarse sand.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry; very sticky or sticky wet.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent gravel.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

2Bt horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Clay content: 27 to 40.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel.
Structure: Prismatic or massive.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Other features: Few fine filaments of carbonate are in lower subhorizons in some pedons.

3Bt horizons
Value 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Clay Content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 40 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Other features: Few fine filaments of carbonate are present in some pedons.

4C horizons
Texture: Gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly coarse sand.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 30 to 60 percent gravel.
Structure: Massive or single grained.
Consistence: Slightly hard or loose.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brownscombe, Bucklake, Cagle, Correco, Holmzie, Jasseek, Northmore, Perla, Sherar, Wicup and Zymans.

Bucklake, Brownscombe, Cagle, Holmzie, Perla, Sherar and Wicup soils are 50 to 100 cm to bedrock. Correco soils are slightly or medium acid throughout, have argillic horizons that have more than 15 percent coarse and very coarse sand and depth to base of the argillic horizon is 66 to 163 cm. Jasseek soils have less than 10 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Northmore soils are slightly acid or neutral and lack very gravelly coarse sand within 100 cm. Zymans soils lack very gravelly coarse sand within 100 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Schoer soils are on fan piedmonts. These soils formed in mixed alluvium. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Elevations are 1,740 to 1,955 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Heechee and Welch series. Heechee soils have a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section and Welch soils are very poorly drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow over very rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Antelope bitterbrush, Thurber needlegrass, needleandthread. Irrigated areas are in alfalfa.

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

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Elko County, Nevada, Southeast part. 1992. The name is taken from a creek in the area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 41 cm (A, Bt1 and 3Bt horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 84 cm (Bt1, Bt2, 2Bt and 3Bt horizons).
Aridic feature - Aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 58 cm (Bt1, Bt2 and 3Bt horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.