LOCATION TULASE                  NV

Established Series
Rev. RAF-RLB-JVC-JBF
11/2016

TULASE SERIES

The Tulase series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks, loess, and volcanic ash. Tulase soils are on lagoons, inset fans, fan skirts, stream terraces, and drainageways. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Duric Torriorthents

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

A--0 to 13 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)

C--13 to 28 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 40 cm thick)

Cq--28 to 51 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent 10 to 25 mm diameter weakly and moderately cemented durinodes; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

Cqk--51 to 97 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent 10 to 25 mm diameter moderately cemented durinodes; 10 percent discontinuous weak silica cementation; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine filaments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 60 cm thick)

Cky--97 to 147 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine filaments; secondary gypsum segregated as common fine filaments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 60 cm thick)

Cy--147 to 178 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; secondary gypsum segregated as common fine filaments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; approximately 36 miles south of Carlin between Pine Valley and the Sulphur Spring Range; about 2,500 feet north and 2,200 feet east of the southwest corner of section 36, T. 27 N., R. 51 E.; USGS Mineral Hill NW 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 10 minutes 38 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 10 minutes 22 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.1772222 latitude, -116.1727778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in winter and spring, dry late June through October; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to horizons with durinodes: 28 to 45 cm.
Depth to horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates: 38 to 60 cm.
Other features: Some pedons lack subhorizons with filaments of secondary gypsum.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.

C horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Structure: Moderate or coarse prismatic, angular blocky, or massive.
Consistence: Soft through hard, dry; nonsticky or slightly sticky and nonplastic or slightly plastic.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Cq and Cqk horizons
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Structure: Massive or subangular blocky.
Texture: Silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
Consistence: Soft through hard, dry; very friable or friable, moist; nonsticky or slightly sticky, nonplastic or slightly plastic.
Durinodes: 20 to 50 percent or up to 50 percent discontinuous silica-secondary calcium carbonate cementation in most Cqk horizons.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 0 to 2 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 0 to 5.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cren, Cresal, Moranch, Risbeck, and Wahluke series.

Cren, Cresal, and Moranch soils have a typic aridic (torric) moisture regime. Risbeck soils have durinodes in all subhorizons and have secondary carbonates within 25 cm of the soil surface. Wahluke soils have laminated lacustrine sediments with carbonate-cemented lenses at 38 to 76 cm from the soil surface.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tulase soils are on lagoons, inset fans, fan skirts, and drainageways. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks, loess, and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 1,530 to 2,280 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alley, Bubus, and Perwick soils. Alley soils have an argillic horizon with 18 to 30 percent clay. Bubus soils have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section. Perwick soils are moderately deep to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low or medium surface runoff; moderately saturated hydraulic conductivity. These soils are usually not susceptible to flooding, but some phases are susceptible to occasional flooding for brief periods between February and April.

USE AND VEGETATION: Tulase soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, low rabbitbrush, Indian ricegrass, and Thurber's needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern and central Nevada. These soils are extensive with about 137,000 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept and main acreage occurs in MLRA 25. Other acres of this series are mapped in MLRAs 24 and 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, 1983.

REMARKS: 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).
Durinodes and duric feature - The zone from 28 to 97 cm (Cq and Cqk horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 51 to 147 cm (Cqk and Cky horizons).
Particle size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Cq, Cqk and part of the C and Cky horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.