LOCATION SHANTOWN NV

Established Series
Rev. JVC/JBF
11/2016

SHANTOWN SERIES

The Shantown series consist of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in re-worked alluvium derived from granitic rocks. Shantown soils are on upper beach plains and beach bars. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcidic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Shantown gravelly loamy sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered by approximately 10 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and vesicular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 18 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

A3--18 to 28; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Bw1--28 to 38 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 cm thick)

Bw2--38 to 64 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

C--64 to 84 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

2Ck1--84 to 124 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; few carbonate coats on bottoms of fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 50 cm thick)

3Ck2--124 to 152 cm; variegated extremely gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine and medium interstitial pores; 75 percent gravel; few carbonate coats on bottoms of fragments; 20 percent discontinuous weak carbonate cementation; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; in the Ruby Valley about 9 miles northeast of the Ruby Marsh National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters; approximately 100 feet south and 200 feet east of the northwest corner of section 23, T. 28 N., R. 58 E.; USGS Franklin Lake SW 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 18 minutes 00 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 24 minutes 49 seconds W; NAD 83; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.3000000 latitude, -115.4136111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 38 cm.
Depth to 2C horizon and identifiable secondary carbonates: 76 to 109 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 8 to 12 percent. Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 30 percent, dominantly fine (2 to 5 mm) gravel. Lithology of fragments is granitic rock.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bw horizon
Texture: Coarse sandy loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 8 to 12 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent.

C horizon
Texture: Coarse sandy loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 8 to 12 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent.

2Ck1 horizon
Texture: Sand, coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, or loamy sand.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Other features: Some pedons lack few carbonate coats on bottoms of rock fragments but have carbonates segregated in the matrix.

3Ck2 horizon (when present)
Clay content: 2 to 6 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent.
Structure: Massive or single grain.
Sodicity (SAR): 0 to 5.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent.
Cementation: 10 to 30 percent discontinuous weak carbonate cementation.
Other features: Some pedons contain thin bands of gravelly loamy sand or coarse sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blue Star, Courtrock, Farrell, Malott, Tickason, and Tonasket series.

Blue Star soils have calcic horizons and have horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates at depths of 38 to 76 cm. Courtrock soils do not have fine gravel derived from granitic rock and are dominated by loam and silt loam in the particle-size control section. Farrell soils average less than 10 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Malott soils are deep to duripans. Tickason soils have calcic horizons at depths of 30 to 58 cm. Tonasket soils have texture of loam, silt loam, and very fine sandy loam and average less than 10 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shantown soils are on beach plains, barrier bars, offshore bars and beach bars. These soils formed in re-worked alluvium derived from granitic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 1,710 to 1,925 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Zorrovista soils. Zorrovista soils are sandy and formed in eolian material on stable dunes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low or low surface runoff; high or very high saturated hydraulic conductivity

USE AND VEGETATION: Shantown soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush and crested wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 7,800 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, Southeast Part, 1994.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 28 cm (A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 28 to 64 cm (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 84 to 152 cm (2Ck1 and 3Ck2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bw1, Bw2, C and parts of the A3 and 2Ck1 horizons.)

The revision of February 2006 updates the taxonomic class from Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haploxerolls based on the 2Ck1 horizon at 84 cm.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Previous authors and editors include: PWB-LJL-RLB.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.