LOCATION SINGLETREE              NV

Established Series
Rev: RAF/GJS/JBF
11/2019

SINGLETREE SERIES

The Singletree series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from basic igneous rocks with a component of loess high in volcanic ash. Singletree soils are on mountain side slopes. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calciargidic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Singletree loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

A2--5 to 18 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 28 cm thick)

A3--18 to 43 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 28 cm thick)

Bt1--43 to 66 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films in pores, few faint clay films bridging and coating sand grains; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 cm thick)

Bt2--66 to 81 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; common faint clay films in pores, few faint clay bridges between sand grains; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 33 cm thick)

2C--81 to 101 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 36 cm thick)

2Ck--101 to 124 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; many pinkish gray (5YR 7/2) soft seams and masses of carbonate; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 56 cm thick)

2Cr--124 to 137 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) soft tuff, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County Nevada; about 17 miles north of Carlin; about 1,800 feet south and 850 feet west of the northeast corner of section 27, T. 36 N., R. 52 E.; USGS Swales Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 58 minutes 59 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 6 minutes 27 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.9830556 latitude, -116.1075000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry late June to early October; xeric soil moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 38 to 50 cm.
Depth to base of Bt horizon: 76 to 110 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 100 to greater than 150 cm.
Other features: Some pedons have Bw horizons above the Bt horizon.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Average 10 to 35 percent gravel and/or cobbles.

A horizon
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Weak or moderate fine to coarse granular or subangular blocky.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bt horizon
Value: 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Heavy loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam or gravelly clay loam.
Structure: Medium to very coarse prismatic or weak or moderate medium or coarse subangular blocky.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

2Ck horizon
Texture: Sandy loam, sandy clay loam or gravelly sandy loam.
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent clay.
Rock fragments: Up to 50 percent gravel and cobbles.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dishpan, Eldgin, Fenelon, Shenon, Swissbob and Techicknot series.

Dishpan Fenelon soils have bedrock at a depth of 50 to 100 cm. Eldgin soils have a very gravelly sand at 60 to 90 cm. Shenon, Swissbob and Techicknot soils have a calcic horizon within 40 cm and have 0 to 10 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Singletree soils are on mountain side slopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from basic igneous rocks including tuff with a component of loess high in volcanic ash. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevation are 1,680 to 2,290 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bucan, Ramires, Taylor Creek, and Torro soils. Bucan soils lack a mollic epipedon. Ramires soils have a fine particle-size control section. Taylor Creek soils have a very fine particle-size control section. Torro soils have loamy-skeletal particle-size control section.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally big sagebrush, serviceberry, Douglas rabbitbrush, antelope bitterbrush, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, bluebunch wheatgrass and basin wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24, 25 and 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to about 43 cm (A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 43 to 81 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from about 100 to 124 cm (2Ck horizon).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at about 124 cm (2Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 43 to 81 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.