LOCATION UPSTEER                 NV

Established Series
REV: PWB/GJS/JBF
12/2019

UPSTEER SERIES

The Upsteer series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in loess over alluvium derived mainly from tuff. The Upsteer soils are on sideslopes of hills. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Duridic Haploxerolls

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

A1--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--8 to 28 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 28 cm thick)

Bw--28 to 89 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 28 cm thick)

Bq--89 to 153 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; 30 percent 5 to 15 mm firm durinodes; neutral (pH 7.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 14 miles northwest of Elko, about 10 feet north and 2,500 feet west of the southeast corner of section 33, T. 35 N., R. 53 E.: USGS Huntsman Ranch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 52 minutes 13 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 01 minutes 03 W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.8702778 latitude, -116.0175000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in the winter and spring, dry in late June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 38 cm.
Depth to Bq horizon: 64 to 97 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 20 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: Up to 5 percent.

A horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Structure: Fine to thin or medium, platy or subangular blocky.

Bw horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Texture: Averages silt loam or silty clay loam with less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser material.
Structure: Fine or medium subangular blocky.

Bq horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: Averages silt loam or silty clay loam with less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser material.
Reaction: Neutral or mildly alkaline.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent or is slightly effervescent in some subhorizons.
Durinodes: 20 to 50 percent in a friable or very friable matrix.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Upsteer soils are on sideslopes of hills. These soils formed in loess over alluvium derived mainly from tuff. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,590 to 1,770 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 400 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Grina, Orovada, and Tuffo soils. Grina and Tuffo soils are shallow. Orovada soils are coarse-loamy.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Thurber needlegrass, mountain big sagebrush and antelope bitterbrush.

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

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

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

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 28 cm (A1, A2 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 28 to 89 cm (Bw horizon).
Duric horizon - The zone from 89 to 153 cm (Bq horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bw and part of the A2 and Bq horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.