LOCATION THULEPAH NV
Established Series
Rev. OWB/JBF/WED
12/2022
THULEPAH SERIES
The Thulepah series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from mixed rocks. These soils are on hilltops, mountain side slopes and plateaus. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Thulepah very stony loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered with l5 percent gravel, 3 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones.
A1--0 to 5 cm; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) very stony loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel and 15 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 23 cm thick)
A2--5 to 15 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine through coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)
2Bt1--15 to 33 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces, lining pores, and coating coarse fragments; 10 percent gravel, neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 38 cm thick)
2Bt2--33 to 56 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)
2Bt3--56 to 71 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, with brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) redox concentrations; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and in pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)
3Bt--71 to 94 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, with brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) redox concentrations; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few roots; common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and in pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)
4Bt1--94 to 127 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, with brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redox concentrations; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few roots; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 100 cm thick)
4Bt2--127 to 157 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, with pale brown (10YR 6/3) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redox concentrations; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few roots; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; in the area of Tule Peak; 2,200 feet south and 1,500 feet east of the northwest corner of section 3, T. 24 N., R. 20 E.; latitude 39 degrees 58 minutes 33 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 43 minutes 33 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.9788889 latitude, -119.7261111 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist winter, spring and early summer, dry late summer and fall; xeric soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Average summer soil temperature: 13 to 15 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 40 to 56 cm including upper part of Bt horizons.
Depth to bedrock: Greater than 150 cm.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Less than 35 percent.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3.
Bt horizon
Hue of 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Clay loam or silty clay loam.
Other features: Variegated colors with hues of 2.5YR or 5YR may be in the lower Bt horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bachus,
Bavdark,
Benteen,
Brushtop,
Clayburn,
Croydon,
Crystalbutte,
Davtone,
Dehana,
Demast,
Dranburn,
Dranyon,
Echemoor,
Hagenbarth,
Hoopgobel,
Lostminer,
Millerlake,
Odark,
Senchert,
Southmount,
Poodle,
Stubbs, Vadnas and
Winu series.
Bachus,
Benteen,
Brushtop,
Hoopgobel,
Lostminer,
Senchert,
Stubbs
Poodle, Vadnas and
Winu soils are less than 100 cm deep.
Bavdark,
Crystalbutte,
Dehana,
Dranburn,
Hagenbarth,
Millerlake,
Odark and
Southmount soils have a mean annual soil temperature less than 6 degrees C.
Clayburn soils are usually moist except for 90 days.
Davtone soils have hue of 5YR or redder in the Bt horizon.
Croydon,
Demast and
Dranyon soils are less than 150 cm deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Thulepah soils are on rounded hilltops, mountain sides slopes and plateaus. Elevations are 2,290 to 2,750 meters. These soils may be at elevations below 1,525 on steeper north facing mountain side slopes. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. These soils have formed in residuum and colluvium derived from mixed but predominantly basaltic rock. They are in a cold, continental climate having mean annual precipitation of 300 to 400 mm. The mean annual temperature ranges from 5 to 7 degrees C. The frost-free season is 30 to 55 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Gabica,
Softscrabble and
Mosquet soils. Gabica and Soft scrabble soils have a frigid soil temperature regime and more than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Also, Gabica soils have bedrock within 50 cm. Mosquet soils are clayey and have bedrock within 50 cm.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium through rapid runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, wooly wyethia, lupine, Idaho fescue, and common snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern area of Washoe County, Nevada. These soils are of small extent. MLRA 26.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County, South Part, Nevada, 1980.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 56 cm (A1, A2, 2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 156 cm (2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3, 3Bt, 4Bt1 and 4Bt2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 15 to 65 cm (2Bt1, 2Bt2 and part of the 2Bt3 horizons).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.