LOCATION THREEDOGS               NV

Established Series
Rev. BAG/JWM/TM/JVC
02/2012

THREEDOGS SERIES

The Threedogs series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from limestone and welded tuff. Threedogs soils are on alluvial flats. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 180 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calciargids

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

A1--0 to 10 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong thick platy structure parting to moderate thin platy; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 31 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

A2--10 to 30 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 37 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.8); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

Btk1--30 to 51 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium platy; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, common fine and medium roots; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; secondary calcium carbonate is finely disseminated; 33 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.9); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

Btk2--51 to 89 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine angular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse tubular and interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; secondary calcium carbonate is finely disseminated; 33 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); gradual smooth boundary. (20 to 56 cm thick)

Bk--89 to 117 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine, common fine, and few medium tubular and interstitial pores; secondary calcium carbonate is finely disseminated; 52 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 41 cm thick)

Bkk1--117 to 152 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; secondary calcium carbonate is finely disseminated; 65 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear smooth boundary. (30 to 41 cm thick)

Bkk2--152 to 180 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; secondary calcium carbonate is finely disseminated; 54 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.1).

TYPE LOCATION:: Lincoln County, Nevada; about 3 miles southeast of the Big Spring Ranch, 0.3 miles south of the White Pine County line and 50 feet east of a jeep trail and 50 feet north of a stock water pipeline; approximately 1,200 feet south and 1,100 feet west of the northeast corner of section 2, T. 9 N., R. 70 E.; USGS Tweedy Wash 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 40 minutes 28 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 5 minutes 18 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in winter and spring and intermittently moist in some part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to summer convection storms; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 15 degrees C.
Depth to argillic horizon; 23 to 36 cm.
Argillic horizon thickness: 41 to 76 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon: 76 to 127 cm.

Particle-size control section: Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent.

A1 horizon
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 30 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 0 to 4 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 4 to 13.

A2 horizon
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam or silt loam.
Clay content: 18 to 24 percent.
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 35 percent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 4 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.

Btk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay loam or silty clay loam, subhorizons of silt loam are in some pedons.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent, mainly gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 35 percent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 30 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 400.

Bk and Bkk1 horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 22 to 32 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 30 to 70 percent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Finely disseminated in the matrix; stage III carbonate accumulation with plugging of pores in the Bkk1 horizon.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 30 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 200.
Other features: Some pedons have few fine gypsum threads, and few faint relict iron concentrations.

Bkk2 horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Textures: Very fine sandy loam, loam or clay loam.
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent.
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 55 percent, decreases 5 percent or more from the overlying Bkk1 horizon.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Finely disseminated in the matrix; stage III carbonate accumulation with plugging of pores.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 70.
Other features: Some pedons have few fine gypsum threads, and common distinct relict iron concentrations

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Whit series. Whit soils have hue of 5YR, have sodium adsorption ratios of less than 30, and have calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 to 10 percent in the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Threedogs soils are on alluvial flats. These soils formed in alluvium derived mainly from limestone and welded tuff. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevation ranges from 1,646 to 1,722 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 150 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 10 to 14 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigspring, Greatday, Kunzler, and Slaw soils. Bigspring soils have mollic epipedons. Greatday soils contain more than 50 percent strongly cemented nodules in the calcic horizon. Kunzler soils contain less than 18 percent clay. Slaw soils are fine-silty and do not have argillic horizons or calcic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Threedogs soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential vegetation is fourwing saltbush, black greasewood, basin wildrye, and alkali sacaton. This pedon is correlated to ecological site R028AY107NV, Saline Floodplain.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 1,300 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part, 2004. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 30 to 89 cm (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 89 to 180 cm (Bk, Bkk1, and Bkk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 30 to 80 cm (Btk1 horizon and part of the Btk2 horizon).

The revision of June 2008 updated the taxonomic classification from Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calciargids based on laboratory data.

The argillic horizon was formed under previous, moister climatic conditions. It is engulfed in more recent airborne additions of calcium carbonate.

ADDITIONAL DATA: The typical pedon at the series type location has full characterization data by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as pedon ID S05NV-017-006 (pedon # 05N0667).

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.