LOCATION SHALCLEAV NV
Established Series
Rev. DNW-PWB-JVC-JBF
11/2019
SHALCLEAV SERIES
The Shalcleav series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from welded tuff, rhyolite, chert, shale, and argillite. Shalcleav soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 410 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Shalcleav extremely channery silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 65 percent channers and 5 percent flagstones.
A--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely channery silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 55 percent channers and 5 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 13 cm thick)
Bt1--8 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very channery clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds, lining pores, and bridging mineral grains; 35 percent channers and 15 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 15 cm thick)
Bt2--13 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely flaggy clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and coating and bridging mineral grains; 20 percent channers and 60 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)
R--25 cm; platy welded tuff; fractured with roots along fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 28 miles southwest of Jackpot and 0.5 mile east of the Humboldt National Forest boundary near the North Fork of Cottonwood Creek; about 2,000 feet east and 2,000 feet north of the southwest corner of section 23, T. 45 N., R. 60 E.; USGS Goat Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 46 minutes 36 seconds N and 115 degrees 9 minutes 36 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.7766667 latitude, -115.1600000 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist, dry from July to October for 70 to 100 consecutive days; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 10 to 25 cm, includes the Bt1 horizon or both the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons in some pedons.
Depth to bedrock: 10 to 25 cm to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 28 to 35 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 75 percent, mainly channers and flagstones. Lithology of fragments is tuff, rhyolite, chert, or argillite.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Platy, granular, or subangular blocky.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Bt1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very channery clay loam or very channery silt loam.
Clay content: 25 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Bt2 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely flaggy clay, extremely channery clay, or extremely channery clay loam.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent.
Structure: Subangular blocky or angular blocky.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bellenmine,
Celeridge,
Gabica,
Genoa,
Gerdog,
Gidwin,
Grandeposit,
Hawkridge,
Hutchley,
Loope,
Majorsplace,
Mattier,
Melling,
Pernog,
Realmcoy,
Rozara and
Tweener series.
Bellenmine
Celeridge,
Gabica,
Genoa,
Gidwin,
Grandeposit,
Loope,
Majorsplace,
Melling,
Pernog, and
Realmcoy soils have lithic contacts deeper 25 cm from the soil surface.
Hawkridge,
Hutchley,
Mattier and
Rozara soils are dominated by gravel or cobbles in the particle-size control section.
Tweener soils average 35 to 60 percent rock fragments and are dominated by cobbles and stones in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shalcleav soils are on hills and mountains. They occur on all positions. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from welded tuff, rhyolite, chert, shale, and argillite. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,740 to 2,750 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 360 to 460 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Chen,
Gollaher,
Hapgood, and
Quarz soils. Chen soils are clayey-skeletal. Gollaher soils are very shallow to lithic contacts, have carbonatic mineralogy, ochric epipedons, and do not have argillic horizons. Hapgood soils are deep to lithic contacts, have thick mollic epipedons, cryic temperature regime, and do not have argillic horizons. Quarz soils are clayey-skeletal, moderately deep to lithic contacts, and have an aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Shalcleav soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly black sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, Thurber's needlegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, 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 (Central Part), Nevada, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 25 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 25 cm to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.