LOCATION UDEL                    NV

Inactive Series
Rev. LNL/LR/ELS
01/2023

UDEL SERIES

Udel soils typically are grayish brown very gravelly sandy loam over bedrock at depths of 5 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Lithic Haplocryolls

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

A1--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and very fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and very fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)

R--5 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ignimbrite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; approximately 225 feet south and 225 feet east of the center of sec. 11, T.5N., R.69E.

Range in Characteristics: Depth to ignimbrite bedrock is dominantly less than 10 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 degrees to 45 degrees F., mean summer soil temperature is 56 degrees to 58 degrees F., and the soils are usually dry for more than 60 consecutive days in the summer and fall months. The A1 horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5 YR, value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is very gravelly fine sandy loam, very gravelly sandy loam or mainly gravel. This horizon has weak or moderate, very fine to medium, granular or subangular blocky structure. It is slightly acid to neutral (pH 6.2 to 6.8).

Competing Series and their Differentiae: These are the Cheadle, Labshaft, Spring Creek, and Starley series. Cheadle soils have Cca horizons and are mildly to strongly alkaline. Labshaft soils have cambic horizons and have 25 to 35 percent clay in the B2 horizon and have sola 10 to 20 inches thick. Spring Creek soils are calcareous except in the upper sola. Starley soils have calcareous C horizons and have 18 to 35 percent clay in the series control section.

Setting: Udel soils are on steep mountain and foothill sideslopes with slopes of 30 to 50 percent at elevations ranging from 7,200 to 9,200 feet. They formed in residuum weathered from rhyodacitic ignimbrite. Few to common small outcrops may be present. The soils are in a cold continental climate having a mean annual precipitation of 14 to 20 inches that comes mostly as snow. The mean annual temperature is 40 degrees to 43 degrees F., mean summer temperature is 56 degrees to 58 degrees F., and the frost free period is less than 60 days.

Principal Associated Soils: These are the Hamtah, Nevtah, Tica, Winu, and Winz soils. Hamtah soils are very deep and have fine textured argillic horizons. Nevtah soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick. Tica soils have fine textured argillic horizons. Winu soils have fine loamy argillic horizons. Winz soils have umbric epipedons, albic horizons, and clayey skeletal argillic horizons.

Drainage and Permeability: Somewhat excessively drained; rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

Use and Vegetation: The soils are used primarily for wildlife habitat and livestock grazing. The principal vegetation is pinyon pine and mountain mahogany, with an understory of bitterbrush, low sagebrush, bluegrasses, and Therber needlegrass. Scattered manzanita and service berry are in some areas.

Distribution and Extent: East-central Nevada; Udel soils are moderately extensive.

Series Established: Lincoln County (Meadow Valley Area), Nevada, 1971.

Remarks: Udel soils were formerly classified as Lithodols.

OSED scanned by NSSQA. Last revised by state on 10/71.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.