LOCATION VETASH                  CA+NV

Established Series
Rev. EWB-JVC-JBF
06/2017

VETASH SERIES

The Vetash series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from volcanic rock with surficial additions of eolian volcanic ash. Vetash soils are on mountains. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid Vitrandic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Vetash very gravelly ashy sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 40 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 8 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 55 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--8 to 23 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Bt1--23 to 43 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint clay bridges between sand grains and few distinct clay films coating ped faces and lining pores; 50 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)

Bt2--43 to 76 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint clay bridges between sand grains and few distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 50 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 33 cm thick)

Bt3--76 to 117 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 55 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 50 cm thick)

C--117 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 3 miles southwest of Masonic Town Site; approximately 700 feet south and 1,300 feet west of the northeast corner of section 31, T. 6 N., R. 26 E.; USGS Bridgeport 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 19 minutes 48.6 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 09 minutes 30.0 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.3301389 latitude, -119.1583333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry from July through early October for 75 to 90 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 76 cm; includes the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons.
Depth to bedrock: 150 to 200 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered andesite or tuff.
Volcanic glass content: 35 to 60 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is volcanic rock such as andesite or tuff.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

Bt1 and Bt2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly ashy sandy loam, very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, or very gravelly ashy loam.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

Bt3 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam or very gravelly ashy loam.
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chesebro, Eep, Lyonman, Monasterio, Tourn, Warnermount, and Willowak series.

Chesebro soils have mollic epipedons that do not include part of the argillic horizon and have surface horizons dominated by cobbles and stones. Eep soils have mollic epipedons less than 50 cm thick and have greater than 65 percent volcanic glass content in all horizons. Lyonman, Tourn and Willowak soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Monasterio and Warnermount soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vetash soils are on mountains. They typically occur on footslope and backslope positions. They formed in colluvium derived from volcanic rock such andesite or tuff with surficial additions of eolian volcanic ash. The probable sources of the volcanic ash are the Mono Craters and Long Valley Caldera in eastern California. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 2,134 to 2,840 meters. The climate is continental with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 360 to 400 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 40 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Epvip and Hardnut soils. Epvip soils are shallow to paralithic contacts. Hardnut soils are shallow to lithic contacts.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; moderate permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Vetash soils are used for livestock grazing, recreation, watershed and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, snowberry and western needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California and western Nevada, in the western part of the Great Basin. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mineral County Area, Nevada, 2005. The series was proposed in Mono County (Toiyabe National Forest Area), California, 2004.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 76 cm (A1, A2, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 23 to 117 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - The zone from the soil surface to 76 cm (A1, A2, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Particle-size control section and ashy substitute class with glassy mineralogy - The zone from 23 to 73 cm (Bt1 and part of the Bt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Volcanic glass content determined locally by optical grain count with a polarizing petrographic microscope.

User Pedon ID: 2004CA051002.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.