LOCATION SNOTOWN                 NV

Established Series
Rev. PWB-DWW-JVC-JBF
11/2019

SNOTOWN SERIES

The Snotown series consists of moderately deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from shale and other sedimentary rocks. Snotown soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 430 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Xeric Dystrocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Snotown very gravelly coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 70 percent gravel.

A--0 to 8 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and common fine interstitial and tubular pores; 55 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

Bw1--8 to 18 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)

Bw2--18 to 61 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 64 cm thick)

Bw3--61 to 76 cm; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many fine and common very fine tubular pores; many very thin silt coats lining pores; 60 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; extremely acid (pH 4.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

2R--76 cm; hard, fractured shale, with many prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) manganese coats on bedding plane surfaces.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 21 miles north of Wells in the Snake Mountains; approximately 500 feet east and 150 feet south of the northwest corner of section 32, T. 41 N., R. 62 E.; USGS Loomis Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 24 minutes 23 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 59 minutes 25 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.406389 latitude, -114.991389 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry from late August through October; xeric soil moisture regime; additional soil moisture is supplied by lateral water movement in the lower subhorizon above the bedrock.
Mean annual soil temperature: 3 to 7 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to base of cambic horizon: 38 to 76 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a lithic contact.
Base saturation: 5 to 15 percent.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 40 to 65 percent gravel, up to 5 percent cobbles.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist; When mixed the value of the upper 18 cm is 6 dry and 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Structure: Platy or granular.

Bw horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, or very gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Structure: Weak or moderate subangular blocky.
Reaction: Very strongly acid or extremely acid.

C horizon (when present)
Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, or very gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Structure: Subangular blocky or the horizon is massive.
Reaction: Very strongly acid or extremely acid.
Pores: They are lined with very thin silt coats or uncoated sand grains.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Snotown soils are on mountains. They typically occur on concave, north to southeast facing upper backslope positions. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from shale and other sedimentary rocks. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,955 to 2,380 meters. The climate is cold, continental with additional moisture derived from drifting snow accumulation in the area. The mean annual precipitation is 380 cm to 500 mm, the mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chen, Shalcleav, and Sumine soils. Chen and Shalcleav soils have argillic horizons and are shallow to bedrock. Sumine soils have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; high surface runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Snotown soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly lupine, Letterman's needlegrass, and wild buckwheat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 3,400 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, Northeast Part, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and Bw1 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 8 to 76 cm (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 76 cm to underlying hard bedrock (2R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 76 cm (Bw3 horizon and part of the Bw2 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.