LOCATION SHORT CREEK             NV

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

SHORT CREEK SERIES

The Short Creek Series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks and in some areas colluvium derived from rhyolite or welded tuffs. Short Creek soils are on ballenas, fan piedmont remnants and some areas, hills. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Xeric Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Short Creek gravelly clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 23 cm thick)

Bt1--5 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces, and continuous distinct lining pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Bt2--20 to 38 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; continuous distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 36 cm thick)

Bt3--38 to 58 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; continuous distinct clay films on peds and in pores; 45 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 53 cm thick)

Bt4--58 to 127 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; continuous prominent clay films bridging and coating sand grains and gravel; 70 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual irregular boundary; (0 to 76 cm thick)

Btk--127 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist, few medium and coarse dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3), strong brown (7.5YR 5/8), dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), and black (10YR 2/1) redox concentrations; massive; hard, friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; many fine interstitial, and few fine tubular pores; many faint and few distinct clay films in pores, common distinct clay films bridging sand grains and coating gravel; 70 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 3 miles southwest of the Stampede Ranch on Maggie Creek; approximately 2,650 feet east of the northwest corner of section 28, T. 37 N., R. 52 E.; USGS Beaver Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 4 minutes 34 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 8 minutes 10 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.0761111 latitude, 41.0761111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry June through October; aridic bordering xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to carbonates: 76 to 137 cm.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 75 to 150 cm.
Reaction: Neutral through strongly alkaline increasing with depth.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 40 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 50 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Other features: Thickness of this horizon with dry value of 5 is less than 1/3 of solum.

Upper Bt horizons
Value: 4 through 6 dry or moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.
Structure: Weak to moderate, fine to coarse prismatic, weak to strong subangular blocky.
Consistence: Hard or very hard dry. Other features: Upper boundary is abrupt or clear and if abrupt, it has less than 15 percent clay increase between the A and Bt subhorizons.

Lower Bt or Btk horizon
Texture: Sandy clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay.
Clay content: 30 to 40 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 70 percent, mainly gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: This are the Roca, Shoreek, Venum and Whitepeak series.

Roca and Whitepeak soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 50 to 100 cm. Shoreek soils have a hue of 5 YR and 7.5YR in the argillic horizon and lack free carbonates in the lower part. Venum soils have soil temperature of 4 to 7 degrees C and have Btk horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Short Creek soils are on south facing side slopes of fan piedmont remnants, alluvial fans and ballenas and in some areas on hills. These soils formed in alluvium derived from volcanic and sedimentary rocks and in some areas, colluvium derived from welded tuffs and rhyolite. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,520 to 2,290 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm; mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is about 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Berning, Donna, Stampede, and Toeja soils. Berning soils have mesic soil temperature regimes. Donna, Stampede, and Toeja soils have a mollic epipedon and lack 35 percent coarse fragments in the argillic horizons. Donna and Stampede soils also have indurated duripans at 50 to 100 cm.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, Douglas rabbitbrush, Sandberg bluegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. MLRA 25, 24. These soils are moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County (Tuscarora Mountain Area), Nevada, 1979.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 5 cm (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 5 to 152 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4 and Btk horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 5 to 55 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 and a portion of the Bt3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.