LOCATION TUSTELL                 NV

Established Series
Rev. DWW/PWB/RLB/JBF
12/2019

TUSTELL SERIES

The Tustell series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a component of loess and volcanic ash. The Tustell soils are on fan piedmont remnants and partial ballenas. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Tustell gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 45 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very thin and thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine vesicular and interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very thin and thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine vesicular and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--13 to 20 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine, common fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bt2--20 to 36 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; medium very fine and fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many stress surfaces; 25 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)

Bt3--36 to 48 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine prismatic structure that parts to common fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many stress surfaces; 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Bkq--48 to 76 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) continuous weak silica and carbonate cemented gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear irregular boundary. (15 to 33 cm thick)

2Ckq--76 to 150 cm; variegated colored very gravelly loamy sand; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; alternating thin to thick discontinuous weak carbonate and silica cemented lenses; thick carbonate and silica coats on gravel; 55 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 28 miles northwest of Elko, about 2,300 feet south and 200 feet west of the northeast corner of section 30 T. 39, N., R. 55 E.; USGS Wieland Flat 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 14 minutes 36 N and longitude 115 degrees 48 minutes 46 seconds longitude; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.2430556 latitude, -115.8130556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in the winter and spring, dry from early June through early November; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C.
Depth to Bkq horizon: 41 to 76 cm.
Depth to 2Ckq horizon: 56 to 91 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: Averages 10 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Very fine, fine or moderate platy or weak subangular blocky.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: Clay, gravelly clay or gravelly clay loam.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.
Structure: Subangular or angular blocky in the upper part and angular blocky or prismatic in lower part.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bkq horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR.
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Other features: At least one subhorizon 6 cm or more thick is continuously weakly silica and lime cemented. Some pedons also have thin subhorizons with up to 50 percent hard durinodes.

2Ckq horizon
Texture: Stratified very gravelly loamy sand to gravelly loamy fine sand.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wieland series.

Wieland soils lack 2Ckq horizons with stratified very gravelly loamy sand to gravelly loamy fine sand within a depth of 100 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tustell soils are on fan piedmont remnants and partial ballenas. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a component from loess and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,620 to 1,955 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, mean annual temperature is 8 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bilbo, Gance and Mahala soils. Bilbo and Gance soils have over 35 percent rock fragments in their particle-size control section. Mahala soils are 50 to 100 cm deep to soft bedrock and have and abrupt AB textural boundary.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Slow to rapid runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Douglas rabbitbrush, Sandberg bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail and cheatgrass.

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

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County (Central Part), Nevada. 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 13 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 13 to 48 cm (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).
Continuous weak silica cementation - The zone from 48 to 76 cm (Bkq horizon).
Lithologic discontinuity - The boundary at about 76 cm (2Ckq horizon).
Xeric feature - The soil meets the organic carbon requirements for xeric.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 48 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.