LOCATION SHOREEK NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Xeric Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Shoreek very stony clay loam, woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Surface has about 30 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones.
A--0 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very stony clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist, moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0 ); clear, smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 12 inches, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly clay; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 20 percent pebbles; 5 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--12 to 30 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) extremely cobbly clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; strong, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very friable, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 35 percent pebbles; 25 percent cobbles, mildly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)
Bk1--30 to 46 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/5) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots, 20 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
Bk2--46 to 60 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 25 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada on the west side of Little Smoky Valley, 2,430 feet north and 1,580 feet west of the southeast corner of section 28, T. 14 N., R. 51 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall.
Soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Solum thickness - 12 to 35 inches.
Control section: 35 to 55 percent clay.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
A horizon Hue - 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Reaction: Slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
B2t horizon Hue - 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6
Structure: Prismatic, subangular blocky, or angular blocky
Texture: Clay loam or clay.
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent
Reaction: Slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
Bk horizon Carbonate: Less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, less than 5 percent soft powdery lime by volume.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Roca, Short Creek and Whitepeak series. The Roca and Whitepeak soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Short Creek soils have hue of 10YR, and have argillic horizons that contain free carbonates in the lower part.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shoreek soils are on upper slopes of fan piedmonts and fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations are 6,500 to 7,500 feet. The soils formed in alluvium from volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The climate is cool and semi-arid. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 16 inches; the mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F.; the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buster, Locane, Pedoli and Vinini soils. Buster and Pedoli soils have fine-loamy argillic horizons and Buster soils have weak silica cementation in the substrata. Locane soils are less than 20 inches deep to a lithic contact. Vinini soils have an indurated duripan within a depth of 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; slowly permeable.
USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally juniper and pinyon trees with an understory of Wyoming big sagebrush or mountain big sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Nye County, Nevada, 1980. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 5 inches (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 5 to 30 inches Bt1 and Bt2 horizons.
Xerollic feature - the soil moisture regime and organic carbon content meets the requirements for Xerollic.
Particle-size control section - the zone from 5 to 25 inches (Bt1 and part of the Bt2 horizons)