LOCATION SPASPREY                NV

Established Series
Rev. WED/CEJ/RLB/JBF
06/2017

SPASPREY SERIES

The Spasprey series consists of moderately deep over strongly cemented duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. These soils are on alluvial fan piedmont remnants, alluvial fans and lake terraces. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Haploxeralfic Argidurids

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

A--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bt--5 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and bridging mineral grains, and distinct clay films in pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)

Bqk--30 to 74 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine, fine, and medium tubular pores; 10 percent durinodes and a few silica-cemented lamella; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear irregular boundary. (10 to 46 cm thick)

Bqkm--74 to 117 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) strongly cemented duripan; massive; extremely hard, brittle; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear irregular boundary. (13 to 50 cm thick)

Cqk--117 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, nonplastic and nonsticky; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); continuous brittle matrix.

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; about 7 miles north of Reno; about 1,400 feet south, 1,200 feet east from the northwest corner of section 1, T. 20 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Griffith Canyon 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 37 minutes 56 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 41 minutes 10 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.6322222 latitude, -119.6916667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part mid October thru mid June; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to base of Bt horizon: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to strongly cemented duripan: 50 to 76 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 20 to 35 percent.
Sand content: More than 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Less than 10 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Consistence: Nonsticky or slightly sticky and nonplastic or slightly plastic wet.
Reaction: Neutral to slightly alkaline

Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Clay loam, loam, or sandy clay loam. sandy loam or loam
Rock fragments: Less than 10 percent.
Structure: Subangular blocky, angular blocky or prismatic.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry and sticky or very sticky and plastic or very plastic wet.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bqk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Sandy loam or loam.
Consistence: Friable to firm.

Bqkm horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.

Cqk horizon
Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard, friable to firm.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aquinas, Boulflat, Cherry Spring, Eastval, Yody, and Zaidy series.

Aquinas soils have medium acid or slightly acid A and Bt horizons that are 76 to 100 cm thick over the duripan. Boulflat soils have a duripan capping bedrock within a depth of 100 cm. Cherry Spring soils have formed largely in loess with a component of ash; have 25 to 46 cm thick A horizons; and have a silt loam, loam or clay loam argillic horizon with less than 35 percent sand. Eastval soils have a subhorizon within the argillic horizon with more than 35 percent clay. Yody soils have moderately alkaline A and Bt horizons that are 36 to 60 cm thick over a calcic horizon and a duripan at a depth of 76 to 100 cm. Zaidy soils have Btk horizons and have 10 to 35 percent gravel in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Spasprey soils are on fan piedmont remnants, alluvial fans and lake terraces. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations are 1,345 to 2,200 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with hot, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm; mean annual temperature is 8 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is about 100 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Haybourne, Indian Creek, and Wedertz soils. Haybourne soils lack argillic horizons and duripan. Indian Creek soils have fine textured argillic horizon and have a duripan within a depth of 50 cm. Wedertz soils have weak silica cementation but lack a duripan.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail, with scattered areas of antelope bitterbrush and desert peach. This pedon is correlated to R026XY016NV, Loamy 8-10" PZ.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Valleys of western and central Nevada. These soils are of small extent. MLRA 26, 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County (South Part), Nevada, 1980.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 5 cm (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 30 cm (Bt horizon).
Strongly cemented duripan - The zone from 74 to 117 cm (Bqkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 30 cm (Bt horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: User pedon ID: 2006NV031002.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.