LOCATION SPRING                  NV

Established Series
Rev:ELS/RPZ/ET
12/2015

SPRING SERIES

The Spring series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in gypsiferous lacustrine sediments. The Spring soils are on low lake- plain terraces and basin floors. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 5 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 66 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, thermic Sodic Haplogypsids

TYPICAL PEDON: Spring clay loam-desert wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 1 inch; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure; soft, very friable, sticky and plastic; many fine vesicular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (l to 3 inches thick)

A2--1 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine through medium roots; few fine and medium tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

C--5 to 11 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; common medium tubular and many very fine and fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to l2 inches thick)

Cy1--11 to 29 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) silt loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine through medium and few coarse roots; many very fine through medium and few coarse tubular pores; few fine and medium gypsum masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)

Cy2--29 to 37 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive, slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine through medium roots; common very fine through medium tubular pores; many gypsum crystals; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to l5 inches thick)

Cy3--37 to 43 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine through medium tubular and common very fine and fine interstitial pores; many fine gypsum crystals and few gypsum masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to l2 inches thick)

Ck1--43 to 52 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores, and many very fine and fine interstitial pores; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; few fine soft lime masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to l5 inches thick)

Ck2--52 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; common fine and medium soft lime masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada about 650 feet north and 2l00 feet west of the southeast corner of section 33 T. 20 S, R. 6l E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Usually dry. Moist for short periods throughout the moisture control section December through March. Moist above and periodically in upper
part of moisture control section, 1 to 10 days cumulative, June through August.
Soil temperature: 66 to 70 degrees F.

Control section

Texture: Averages clay loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam, but includes strata ranging from light clay to fine sandy loam.
Percent clay: 25 to 35.
Depth to the gypsic horizon: 8 to 30 inches.
Reaction: Neutral through very strongly alkaline.

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.

Cy horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5, 6 or 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Gypsum content: 20 to 30 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils are the Deseret, Land, McCarran, Rairdent and Tahona series. Deseret and Tahona soils have a mesic temperature regime. Land soils have a calic horizon. McCarran soils have a coarse-loamy control section. Rairdent soils have a fine-loamy control section and a mesic temperature regime.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Spring soils are on low lake-plain terraces and basin floors. These soils formed in gypsiferous lacustrine sediments. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are l,600 to 2,200 feet. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and mild winters. The mean annual precipitation is 4 to 6 inches; mean annual temperature is 64 to 68 degrees F., and the frost-free season is l70 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Land series, and the Glencarb, Las Vegas and Paradise soils. Glencarb soils lack gypsic horizons. Las Vegas soils have petrocalic horizons within depth of 20 inches and have carbonatic mineralogy. Paradise soils have mollic epipedons and coarse-loamy control sections, lack gypsic horizons, and are saturated during part of the year.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; slow permeability. Most areas have a fluctuating water table between depths of 6 to 8 feet. Localized areas have a somewhat higher water table as a result of excessive irrigation, conveyance losses, effluent seepage or seepage from nearby springs and seep areas.

USE AND VEGETATION: Urban, rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly alkali sacaton, inland saltgrass, and big saltbush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Nevada in MLRA 30. These soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County (Las Vegas Area), Nevada. l923.

REMARKS: The classification has been changed from a fine-loamy textural family to a fine-silty textural family. The type location has been moved to the present site to better represent the current concept of the series.

Spring soils were formerly classified as Typic Haplogypsids. The classification was again revised in March of 2003 recognizing the high sodium and adding the CEC activity class using the second edition to Soil Taxonomy. Competing series were not checked at that time. -ET

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 3/2003. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.