LOCATION STARGO                  NV

Established Series
Rev. JBF/WED/TM
07/2016

STARGO SERIES

The Stargo series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Stargo soils are on fan skirts, offshore bars, lake plains, alluvial flats and stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Duric Torrifluvents

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

A--0 to 13 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many fine and common medium vesicular pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)

C--13 to 33 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; few pockets and seams (2.5 cm thick) of very gravelly coarse sandy loam; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

2C--33 to 56 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) finely stratified loamy fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, and sand, brown (10YR 4/3) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 30 cm thick)

2Cqk--56 to 81 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) finely stratified sand and very gravelly coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine, few medium interstitial pores; 3 mm thick strata of very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 50 percent discontinuous weakly cemented lenses at the stratification contacts, cemented lenses are very hard, firm and brittle; some gravel have silica and carbonate coating the underside; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 120 cm thick)

3C--81 to 109 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stratified fine sandy loam, gravelly sand, and sand, brown (10YR 4/3) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive and single grain; soft and loose, very friable and loose; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 90 cm thick)

4C--109 to 178 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; about 9 miles southwest of the San Antonio Ranch; about 900 feet north and 100 feet east of the west one-fourth corner of section 18, T. 6 N., R. 41 E.; USGS San Antonio Ranch, 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 22 minutes 55 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 25 minutes 26 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.3819444 latitude, -117.4238889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring months and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 15 degrees C.
Depth to strongly contrasting layers: 28 to 43 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Organic matter: Decreases irregularly with depth.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent in the upper part; Averages 2 to 8 percent in the lower part.
Rock fragments: Average less than 15 percent, but thin strata with up to 55 percent gravel in some pedons.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Effervescence: Noneffervescent through strongly effervescent.

C horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Structure: Platy, some pedons have prismatic structure parting to platy.
Texture: Clay loam, sandy clay loam.
Consistence: Very friable or friable.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.

2C horizon (when present)
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Structure: Platy, massive or single grain.
Texture: Stratified, averages loamy sand or sand, includes strata of sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam.
Consistence: Soft to slightly hard, dry; very friable or friable, moist.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.

2Cqk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Stratified, averages loamy sand or sand, includes strata of sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam.
Structure: Massive or platy.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, very friable or friable.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.
Cementation: Cemented plates, discontinuous weak cementation or 20 to 45 percent durinodes.

4C horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Stratified, averages very fine sandy loam, includes strata of gravelly coarse sand, sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam.
Structure: Single grain or massive.
Consistence: Loose, soft or slightly hard, dry; loose or very friable, moist.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Stargo soils are on fan skirts, offshore bars, lake plains and alluvial flats. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rock sources. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 1,394 to 1,830 meters. The climate is warm, arid with a mean annual precipitation of 125 to 200 mm. The mean annual temperature is 11 to 14 degrees C. The frost-free period ranges from 130 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Domez, Timper, and Yomba soils. Domez soils are fine-loamy. Timper soils are coarse-loamy. Yomba soils are sandy-skeletal.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation consists mainly of shadscale, Bailey greasewood, Anderson wolfberry, kochia, and Indian ricegrass with some bud sagebrush and fourwing saltbush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 29.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nye County (Big Smoky Valley Area), Nevada, 1972.

REMARKS: Series reclassified from sandy, mixed, mesic Duridic Torrifluvents based on review of pedons 9/1999.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and part of C horizons).
Duric feature - The zone from 56 to 81 cm (2Cqk horizon)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (2C, 2Cqk and part of C and 3C horizons.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.