LOCATION WEISER NV CA NM

Established Series
REV: LJL/TM/ET
07/2011

WEISER SERIES

The Weiser series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from limestone and dolomite. Weiser soils are on fan remnants and inset fans. Slope ranges from 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 millimeters (5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 18 degrees C. (64 degrees F.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, thermic Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Weiser extremely gravelly loam - rangeland and wildlife habitat. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. The soil surface is covered by approximately 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones.

A--0 to 5 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong very thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium pores; 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; violently effervescent (13 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 18 centimeters thick)

Bk--5 to 25 centimeters (2 to 10 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; few fine and medium calcium carbonate coats on undersides of coarse fragments; 20 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (13 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 25 centimeters thick)

Bkq1--25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches); very pale brown (10YR7/3) very gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many coarse disseminated irregular pockets of calcium carbonate; many thin calcium carbonate and silica coats on undersides of coarse fragments; 50 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones; violently effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary.

Bkq2--51 to 114 centimeters (20 to 45 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many coarse disseminated irregular pockets of calcium carbonate; many thin calcium carbonate and silica coats on undersides of coarse fragments; 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; violently effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.

Bkq3--114 to 152 centimeters (45 to 60 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; disseminated calcium carbonate throughout; many thin calcium carbonate and silica coats on undersides of coarse fragments; 65 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; violently effervescent (30 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2). (Combined thickness of the Bkq horizons is 75 to 125 centimeters.)

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) south and 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) west of Jean, Nevada in the northern end of Ivanpah Valley; 122 meters (400 feet) north and 15 meters (50 feet) east of the southwest corner of sec. 17, T. 25 S., R. 59 E.; USGS Goodsprings, NV 7.5 minute quadrangle; 35 degrees, 45 minutes, 59 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 23 minutes, 48 seconds west longitude; UTM 11, 644927e 3959211n; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part during winter and spring and intermittingly moist in the upper part following summer thunderstorms. The soils have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 17 to 22 degrees C. (63 to 71 degrees F.).

Depth to calcic horizon: 13 to 38 centimeters (5 to 15 inches).

Calcium carbonate equivalence of the less than 20 millimeter fraction: 40 to 60 percent.

Control section
Clay content: 6 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 50 to 80 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.

Bk or Bw horizon (when present):
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: Loam or fine sandy loam.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, nonsticky or slightly sticky, nonplastic or slightly plastic.
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth: 10 to 20 percent.

Bkq horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
Structure: Massive or subangular blocky structure.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, nonsticky or slightly sticky, nonplastic or slightly plastic.
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth: 20 to 40 percent.
Other features: 0 to 15 percent calcium carbonate nodules or concretions. Some pedons contain thin strata of loamy sand or sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Commski and Upperline series. Commski soils do not have appreciable summer moisture. Upperline soils have a paralithic contact at 76 to 100 centimeters (30 to 40 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Weiser soils are on fan remnants and inset fans. Slope ranges from 0 to 30 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from limestone and dolomite. Elevations are 560 to 1,210 meters (1,840 to 4,860 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 175 millimeters (3 to 7 inches); mean annual air temperature is 16 to 20 degrees C. (60 to 68 degrees F.), and the frost-free season is 210 to 300 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Arizo, Oldspan, Threelakes and Wechech soils. Arizo soils have a sandy-skeletal particle-size control section. Oldspan soils have a loess cap above the calcic horizon. Threelakes soils have a sodic horizon in addition to the calcic horizon. Wechech soils are shallow to a petrocalcic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate to moderately rapid permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly white bursage, creosotebush, range ratany, Nevada ephedra and big galleta.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada; MLRA 30. These soils are moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County, Nevada; Moapa Valley Soil Conservation District, 1939. The name is coined from Weiser Valley.

REMARKS: The series type location was moved in January 2006, to better represent the series concept.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:

Ochric epipedon - 0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches) (A and part of the Bk horizons).
Calcic horizon - 25 to 152 centimeters (10 to 60 inches) (Bkq1, Bkq2 and Bkq3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - 25 to 100 centimeters (10 to 40 inches) (Bkq1 and part of the Bkq2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab Characterization (S80NV-003008) at another site.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.