LOCATION SUTCLIFF                NV

Established Series
Rev. OWB/WED/JBF
05/2016

SUTCLIFF SERIES

The Sutcliff series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks, but mainly basalt. These soils are on alluvial fans and fan piedmonts. Slope is 4 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Duric Petroargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Sutcliff extremely cobbly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak thin platy; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

Bt--13 to 38 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky, and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common thin and few moderately thick clay films on the faces of peds and lining pores; 5 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

Btk--38 to 64 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very stony clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; violently effervescent with carbonate coatings on underside of rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear irregular boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

Bk--64 to 107 cm; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (30 to 76 cm thick)

Bqkm--107 to 135 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) strongly silica cemented hardpan; massive; violently effervescent with carbonate occurring in seams; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; about 2,340 feet east and 200 feet north of the southwest corner of Sec. 19, T. 22N., R. 25 E.; USGS Juniper Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 45 minutes 7.9 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 13 minutes 7.0 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.7521944 latitude, -119.2186111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry most of the time except for short periods in spring during snow melt and after rare spring rains; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to strongly cemented duripan: 100 to 150 cm.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Sodicity (SAR): Less than 13.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 28 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 or 6 dry.

Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6.

Bk and C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Rock fragments: 40 to 80 percent.
Secondary carbonate accumulation: Calcareous with carbonates coating rock fragments.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other competing soi1s in the family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sutcliff soils are on alluvial fans adjacent to drainageways and talus slopes at elevations of 1,345 to 2,135 meters. Slope is 4 to 15 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks, but mainly basalt. The climate is cool, semiarid with a mean annual temperature of 9 to 10 degrees C and a mean annual precipitation of 125 to 200 mm that falls mainly in winter. Frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bundox and Kleinbush soils. Bundox soils have a duripan within a depth of 50 cm and have a clayey particle-size control section. Kleinbush soils have a natric horizon and a fine particle-size control sections.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly bud sagebrush, Bailey greasewood and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Valleys in western Nevada. Sutcliff soils are of small extent. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County, Nevada, South Part, 1981.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 13 cm (A1 and A2 horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 13 to 64 cm (Bt and Btk horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 107 to 132 cm (Bqkm horizon)
Particle size control section - The zone from 13 to 63 cm (Bt and most of the Btk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.