LOCATION SUSIE CREEK             NV

Established Series
Rev. CEJ/PWB/RLB/JBF
05/2016

SUSIE CREEK SERIES

The Susie Creek series consists of deep and very deep well drained soils that formed mostly in residuum derived from weakly consolidated tuff, andesite, welded tuff, rhyolite and basalt with some influence from loess and volcanic ash. The Susie Creek soils are on fan piedmont remnants with a rock core, rock pediment remnants, plateau and foothill side slopes and summits. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Argiduridic Argixerolls

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

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 23 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, and very few medium roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 23 cm thick)

AB--23 to 30 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; with many bleached sand grains coating ped faces; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, and few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many thin clay films in pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--30 to 48 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong fine and medium prismatic structure; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, and very few medium roots; very few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; many pressure cutans and common moderately thick clay bridges; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

Bt2--48 to 64 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, and very few medium roots; very few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; many pressure cutans and common moderately thick clay bridges; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 28 cm thick)

Bk--64 to 74 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very few medium, and few very fine roots; common very fine tubular, and few very fine interstitial pores; many medium and coarse distinct soft lime masses; slightly effervescent in fine irregular seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

2Bqkm1--74 to 101 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam that is weakly silica-cemented, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and slightly plastic; very few very fine roots; common fine and very few very fine interstitial pores; many medium and coarse faint soft lime masses; slightly effervescent in irregular seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 50 cm thick)

2Bqkm2--101 to 145 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) coarse sandy loam that is weakly silica-cemented, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few very fine roots; very few fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent but strongly effervescent in fine irregular seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 50 cm thick)

2Cr--145 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) weathered tuff, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 1,320 feet west and 500 feet north of the apparent southeast corner, section 4, T. 34 N., R. 52 E.; USGS Schroeder Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 51 minutes 26 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 07 minutes 40 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part October through late June; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm thick.
Depth to base of Bt horizons: 50 to 76 cm.
Depth to weak silica-cementation: 50 to 90 cm.
Depth to paralithic or lithic contact: 100 to more than 150 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent, when mixed.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bt horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure; Moderate or strong, fine or medium prismatic or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Hard to extremely hard dry; friable to very firm, moist; Sticky or very sticky, plastic or very plastic wet.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.
Texture: Clay, silty clay sandy clay or clay loam.

Bqkm horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR.
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, or coarse sandy loam.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Cementation: Continuously brittle matrix. Some pedons have durinodes in a friable matrix in lower subhorizons.
Consistence: Very firm or firm and brittle when moist, some pedons are friable moist in lower subhorizons.. Some pedons have Bq subhorizons that are weakly silica-cemented and lack secondary carbonates.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Susie Creek soils are on rock pediment remnants, fan piedmont remnants with a rock core, plateau and foothill side slopes and summits and in some areas, on fan piedmonts with rock core. These soils formed in material weathered derived from weakly consolidated tuff rhyolite, andesite and basalt with some influence from loess and volcanic ash. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,520 to 2,130 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm; mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pattani, Pie Creek and Toeja soils. Pattani soils do not have argillic horizons and have deep cracks that open and close upon drying and wetting. Pie Creek soils have E horizons, abrupt textural changes and very-fine argillic horizons. Toeja soils have fine-loamy argillic horizons and due not have horizons cemented with silica.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally big sagebrush, Douglas rabbitbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, Sandberg bluegrass, basin wildrye and Thurber needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. MLRA 25. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, 1976.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 30 to 64 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizon).
Continuous weak silica cementation - The zone from 74 to 145 cm (2Bqkm1 and 2Bqkm2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The zone at 145 cm (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 30 to 64 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.