LOCATION SIRI                    NV

Established Series
Rev: RMW/PWB/GJS/JBF
11/2019

SIRI SERIES

The Siri series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from quartzite, sandstone and limestone, with a component of loess. The Siri soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 330 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Xeric Haplocalcids

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

A--0 to 13 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many medium, common fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

Bw--13 to 28 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse and medium, common very fine roots; few fine and many very fine tubular pores; 60 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 23 cm thick)

Bqk1--28 to 58 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel with silica and carbonate pendants on undersides; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 56 cm thick)

Bqk2--58 to 86 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 65 percent gravel, with silica and carbonate pendants on undersides; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 60 cm thick)

C--86 to 127 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly heavy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; 70 percent gravel, strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; about 470 feet south and 350 feet west of the northeast corner of section 28, T. 25 N., R. 54 E.; USGS West of Railroad Pass 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 1 minute 31 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 52 minutes 50 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.0252778 latitude, -115.8805556 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist winter and spring, dry June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Combined thickness of A and Bw horizons: 25 to 41 cm.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline increasing with depth.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent angular gravel and cobbles.

A horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Platy, granular, or it is massive.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or moderately effervescent. The surface 1 to 5 cm is noneffervescent in some pedons.

Bw horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Extremely gravelly or very gravelly sandy loam or loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent angular gravel and cobbles.
Structure: Weak subangular blocky or it is massive.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or moderately effervescent.

Bqk and C horizons
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to violently effervescent. Other features: The Bqk horizons are 30 to 117 cm thick and have thin carbonate and silica pendants on the undersides of gravel and cobbles. Bedrock substratum phases are recognized.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Duckree, Holinrock, Misfire, Packmo and Zer series.

The Duckree, Misfire, Packmo and Zer soils average less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Holinrock soils are moderately deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Siri soils are on hills and mountain. These soils formed in residuum weathered from quartzite, sandstone and limestone, with a component of loess. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,770 to 2,280 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and war, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 360 mm which comes mostly as snow; mean annual temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C.; and the frost-free season is 60 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bartine, Fera and Passar series. These soils have mollic epipedons. Also, Bartine soils have bedrock at depths of 50 to 100 cm. Fera and Passar soils have an argillic horizon.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Douglas rabbitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast and central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Diamond Valley Area, Nevada. 1971.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 18 cm. (A and part of the Bw horizons)
Cambic horizon - The zone from 13 to 28 cm. (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 28 to 86 cm. (Bqk1 and Bqk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm. (Bqk1, Bqk2 and parts of the Bw and C horizons)

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.