LOCATION TERLCO                  NV

Established Series
Rev. JHD/JBF/JVC
05/2016

TERLCO SERIES

The Terlco series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Terlco soils are on fan remnants and alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Terlco very gravelly fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine vesicular and few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)

Btn--5 to 18 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 23 cm thick)

Btnk--18 to 28 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse and many very fine, fine and medium roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 30 percent gravel; few carbonate masses and coats on undersides of rock fragments; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 cm thick)

Bk1--28 to 46 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; common carbonate masses and coats on undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

Bk2--46 to 66 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) very gravelly loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; common carbonate masses and coats on undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 40 cm thick)

Bk3--66 to 84 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly loamy sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; common carbonate coats on undersides of rock fragments; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)

Bk4--84 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) very gravelly loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel; common carbonate coats on undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; about 9 miles south of Gabbs on Highway 23, and 1.6 miles northwest on the dirt road which runs along the Nye and Mineral County line; 300 feet west and 500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 33, T. 11 N., R. 35 E.; USGS Mount Annie SE 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 46 minutes 53 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 2 minutes 12 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.7813889 latitude, -118.035556 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 base of natric horizon: 25 to 46 cm.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through violently effervescent; major accumulation of carbonates are in bands or irregularly shaped pockets in some pedons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Average 18 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent gravel. Lithology of fragments is mixed.

A horizon
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.

Btn and Btnk horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction): Clay loam, loam, or sandy loam. Subhorizons of sandy clay are in some pedons.
Structure: Platy to prismatic may part to angular or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard to very hard, very friable to firm, slightly sticky or moderately sticky.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent; Some pedons have clay content as high as 40 percent in the upper part of the natric horizon.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent.

Bk1 horizon
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles.
Consistence: Soft to slightly hard, very friable or friable.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 31 to 45.

Bk2, Bk3, and Bk4 horizons
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction): Loamy sand or sand.
Clay content: 3 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles.
Consistence: Soft to slightly hard, very friable to friable.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 31 to 45.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Azabache, Fajada, Hadden, Highrock, Homko, Leebench, Leeko, Muff, Pizene, Recapture, Rusty, Swasey, Thermosprings and Uffens series.

Azabache soils have nitric horizons deeper than 46 cm and have sodium sulfate crystals. Fajada, Hadden, and Muff soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Highrock and Hadden soils are not intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during summer months. Fajada, Hadden, and Muff soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Homko soils have calcic horizons and mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 9 degrees C. Leebench soils have nongravelly substrata. Leeko soils have mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 10 degrees C. and are not intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during summer months. Pizene and Rusty soils do not have gravel in the substratum and are not intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during summer months. Recapture and Thermosprings soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Swasey soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Uffens soils do not have secondary carbonates.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Terlco soils are on fan remnants and alluvial fans. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,250 to 2,044 meters. The climate is cool-arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 10 to 12 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 130 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Eastgate and Izo soils. Eastgate soils are sandy and have cambic horizons. Izo soils are sandy-skeletal, have ochric epipedons, and do not have diagnostic subsurface horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium to very high surface runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Terlco soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly Bailey greasewood, galleta, Nevada ephedra, spiny menodora, shadscale, bud sagebrush, and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western and southern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRAs 29 and 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County, Nevada, 1984.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 5 cm (A horizon).
Natric horizon - The zone from 5 to 28 cm (Btn and Btnk horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 28 cm (Btn and Btnk horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: A pedon has been sampled for full characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S82NV-021-001.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.