LOCATION ULTRA                   NV

Established Series
WMA/RPZ/JBF
05/2016

ULTRA SERIES

The Ultra series consists of very deep, well drained that formed in lacustrine sediments with a thin surface layer of alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Ultra soils are on lake plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature is 11 degrees C.; the mean annual precipitation is about 125 mm.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Ultra gravelly fine sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 cm; light gray (10YR 7/1) gravelly fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine vesicular pores; 20 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

Btn--5 to 28 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many fine and very fine exped tubular pores; continuous moderately thick clay films on peds; few fine violently effervescent carbonate filaments in the lower 8 cm; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

C--28 to 91 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (50 to 76 cm thick)

Cys--91 to 114 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) stratified silty clay loam and silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; very few very fine tubular pores; many white (10YR 8/1) gypsum filaments and soft masses; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 46 cm thick)

C'--114 to 152 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist, with common fine distinct reddish yellow (5YR 7/6) moist relict iron mottles; massive; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few fine and very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Lyon County, Nevada; about 400 feet northwest of Lahontan Well, l,800 feet south of the projected northwest corner of section l2, T. l6 N., R. 25 E.; USGS Silver Springs South 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 16 minutes 2 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 7 minutes 5 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.2672222 latitude, -119.1413889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to the base of natric horizon: 18 to 33 cm.
Reaction: Neutral through strongly alkaline.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2.

Btn horizon
Hue: 10YR, or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 5.
Texture: Clay, silty clay, silty clay loam.
Sodicity (SAR): 15 to 60
Structure: Columnar or prismatic. It parts to angular blocky in some pedons.
Other features: The pH is commonly buffered by neutral salts and/or gypsum.

C and Cys horizons
Hue: 2.5Y, or l0YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3.
Texture: Clay or silty clay with thin lenses or strata of silty clay loam or silt loam.
Other features: Salt and gypsum crystals, veins, and masses commonly are at any depth in the C horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Buckaroo, Calneva, Effington, Klienbush, Meeteetse, and Uvada series.

Buckaroo, Calneva Effington, Kleinbush, Meeteetse and Uvada soils have the base of the natric deeper than 33 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ultra soils are on lake plains. They formed in lacustrine sediments with a thin surface layer of alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 1,265 to 1,310 meters. The mean annual temperature is 10 to 11 degrees C.; the mean annual precipitation is 100 to 150 mm. Frost-free season is l00 to l30 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lahontan and Whirlo soils. Lahontan soils lack a natric horizon. Whirlo soils formed in gravelly alluvium and lack a natric horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Indian ricegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, Bailey greasewood, shadscale and bud sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. The soils are not extensive. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lyon County Area, Nevada, l98l.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 5 cm (A horizon).
Natric horizon - The zone from 5 to 28 cm (Btn horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 28 cm (Btn horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.