LOCATION UWELL                   NV

Established Series
Rev. ARW-PWB-WED-JBF
11/2016

UWELL SERIES

The Uwell series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks over lacustrine sediments. The Uwell soils are on alluvial flats, inset fans and lake plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Duric Torriorthents

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

A--0 to 8 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; common fine interstitial and tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

Bk--8 to 41 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; few weak durinodes; 10 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 40 cm thick)

2Bqk--41 to 66 cm; pale yellow (5Y 8/2) silt loam, pale olive (5Y 6/3) moist; weak to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, very fine, and medium roots; common fine tubular and interstitial pores; few carbonate filaments and soft masses, common fine and medium durinodes; 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

3B'k1--66 to 122 cm; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine, very fine, and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; few fine mottles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (28 to 84 cm thick)

3B'k2--122 to 152 cm; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) silty clay, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; approximately 2 miles south of Hunter Point in an unsectionized area, about 585 feet south and 875 feet east of the projected northwest corner of section 21, T. 21 N., R. 61 E.; USGS Hunter Point 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 40 minutes 16 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 4 minutes 27 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.6711111 latitude, -115.0741667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and early spring, dry late spring through mid fall; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to durinodes: 30 to 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 25 to 35 percent.

Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Clay content: 22 to 27 percent.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry, very friable or friable moist.
Cementation: less than 2 percent fine to medium durinodes.

2Bqk horizon
Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Clay content: 22 to 27 percent.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry, very friable or friable moist.
Cementation: 2 to 20 percent fine to medium durinodes.

3Bk horizon
Value: 5 or 6.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Silty clay loam or silty clay.
Clay content: 27 to 50 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Batan and Boton series.

Batan and Boton soils have a typic aridic soil moisture regime,

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Uwell soils are on alluvial flats, inset fans and lake plains. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks over lacustrine sediments. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 1,860 to 1,910 meters. The climate is cool, semi-arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm; mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C.; and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pyrat and Sheffit series. Pyrat soils have more than 35 percent gravel in the particle-size control section and Sheffit soils have more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail and winterfat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East Central Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, Western Part, 1988.

REMARKS: The name is coined.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 18 cm (A and part of Bk horizons).
Duric feature - The zone from 41 to 66 cm (2Bqk horizon).
Xeric feature - Aridic moisture regime bordering on xeric
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (lower part of Bk, 2Bqk and the top part of 3Bk1 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.