LOCATION VICU NVInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Duric Xeric Petroargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Vicu stony sandy loam - pinyon-juniper rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine, and common fine vesicular, and many fine, and few medium interstitial pores; many clean sand grains; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A12--2 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial, and few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
IIB21t--8 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly and cobbly sandy clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; brown (7.5YR 4/4) coatings; massive; hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial, and few very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine, and few moderately thick clay bridges between sand grains and in pores; 50 percent coarse fragments; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 16 inches thick)
IIB22t--22 to 29 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine interstitial, and few very fine tubular pores; many thin and few moderately thick clay bridges between sand grains and coatings on pebbles, and many thin clay films in pores; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
IIB31t--29 to 35 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; common thin and few moderately thick coatings and bridges between sand grains; neutral (pH 6 .9); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
IIB32tca--35 to 44 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; common thin clay coatings on the base of gravel and few thin clay bridges between sand grains; few thin white (10YR 8/2) lime coatings on base of gravel in lower part of horizon; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
IIC1sicam--44 to 60 inches; white (10YR 8/2) strongly cemented very gravelly duripan with many discontinuous, randomly oriented, thin (1/64 to 1/8 inch thick) silica laminae, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm; few very fine interstitial pores in strongly cemented material, and many very fine and fine interstitial pores in other parts; horizon contains many pockets and strata of weakly cemented materials that are slightly hard, friable, and brittle; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; the approximately north 1/4 corner of sec. 36, T.6N., R.69E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 46 to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is 62 to 64 degrees F. These soils are usually dry but are moist in the winter and spring months. Solum thickness and depth to the duripan are from 40 to 50 inches. The argillic horizon is 30 to 46 inches thick. Depth to secondary carbonates is 32 to 38 inches. The pH of the upper part of the solum is 6.8 to 7.4, of the lower (calcareous) part is 7.6 to 8.2 and of the duripan is 8.2 to 8.8. The A1 horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. The surface 1- to 3-inch portion is massive or has weak medium or thick platy structure. The remainder of the A1 horizon has weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky structure.
The B2t horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 dry and 3 through 5 moist. It is dominantly sandy clay or clay, and less commonly heavy clay loam and averages 55 to 70 percent gravel, ranging from 40 to 75 percent. This horizon is massive, or has weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky structure. It is slightly hard, to very hard, and friable or firm. The duripan has value of 7 or 8 dry and 6 or 7 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is extremely hard or very hard and very firm or firm.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the tentative Borda, Short Creek and Termo series. Borda and Termo soils have fine-textured argillic horizons with less than 35 percent coarse fragments. Short Creek soils lack an increase of 15 percent or more in clay content at the upper boundary of the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vicu soils are on gently to moderately sloping terraces at elevations of 6,000 to 6,500 feet. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from rhyodacitic ignimbrites. The climate is cool, continental. The mean annual temperature is 44 to 45 degrees F., mean summer soil temperature is 60 to 62 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches, with most of it coming as snow.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Tica and Umil soils. Tica soils have lithic contacts between depths of 10 and 20 inches, and fine-textured argillic horizons. Umil soils have fine-loamy cambic horizons and indurated duripans within depths of 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; slow to medium runoff; slow permeability in the solum and very slow in the duripan.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used primarily for wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally pinyon pine and Juniper, with a scant understory of big sagebrush, bitterbrush, and some cheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Nevada. Vicu soils are inextensive (about 2,5OO acres).
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County (Meadow Valley Area) Nevada, 1971.
REMARKS: Vicu soils were formerly classified as Brown soils.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 10/71.