LOCATION WHEELERWELL             NV

Established Series
REV: LJL/TM/ET
06/2011

WHEELERWELL SERIES

The Wheelerwell series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium from quartzite and some dolomite. Wheelerwell soils are on backslopes of hills. Slope ranges from 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 47 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Wheelerwell very gravelly sandy loam, forest and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 75 percent gravel, 5 cobbles and 3 percent stones with 40 percent of the area covered by approximately 1 to 4 centimeters of duff.

A--0 to 2 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 45 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)

ABt--2 to 6 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and few fine to coarse roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 65 percent, faint, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) organoargillans on all faces of peds and on rock fragments; 30 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

Bt--6 to 18 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine through very coarse roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; 65 percent, faint, brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay films on all faces of peds and on rock fragments; 60 percent, discontinuous, faint, clay films between sand grains and on rock fragments; 30 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary.

Btk--18 to 27 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine through coarse roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 90 percent, distinct, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay films on all faces of peds and on rock fragments; 5 percent, prominent, white(10YR 8/1), calcium carbonate coats on bottom of dolomite rock fragments; 30 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); very abrupt wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt and Btk horizons is 16 to 30 inches)

R--27 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) hard dolomite, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; very slightly effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; about 8 miles west and 8 miles north of Charleston Peak, Nevada; approximately 1.0 mile north and 0.2 miles west of Wheeler Well in the north end of the Spring Mountains; about 2150 feet north and 770 feet east of the southwest corner of section 17, T. 18 S., R. 55 E.; USGS Willow Peak, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees, 23 minutes, 4.1 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 49 minutes, 52.5 seconds west longitude; UTM 11, 0604825e 4027227n; NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - usually dry, moist in late winter and early spring and intermittently moist in the upper part following summer thunderstorms; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on ustic.

Soil temperature: 47 to 52 degrees F.

Depth to base of mollic epipedon: 7 to 10 inches, includes the upper part of the argillic horizon and/or mixing of the upper 7 inches of the mineral soil.

Depth to argillic horizon: 2 to 8 inches.

Depth to lithic contact: 20 to 40 inches.

Effervescents: Noneffervescent throughout the fine earth.

Control section - Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel with 3 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones, mainly quartzite.
Clay content: Averages 18 to 27 percent.

A horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Organic matter: 1.0 to 2.0 percent.

ABt horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 2 or 2.5 moist.
Texture: Loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Organic matter: 1.0 to 2.0 percent.

Bt and Btk (when present) horizons - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Texture: Clay loam, loam, fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.
Structure: Medium or coarse subangular blocky or angular blocky.
Consistence: Hard or very hard, very friable or friable, slightly plastic or moderately plastic.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
Organic matter: 0.5 to 1.0 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Golondrina, Irock, Jumbopeak, Lantis, Majada, Mokiak, Montoso, Murdo, Nederland, Purcella, Romine, Salas, Wandurn, and Willowman series. Golondrina, Lantis, Majada, Murdo, Nederland, Purcella, Romine, and Willowman soils are very deep. Irock and Wandurn soils are deep to bedrock. Jumbopeak soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 55 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit and 12 to 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Montoso soils have cinders 12 to 32 inches deep. Salas soils are calcareous in the lower part of the solum and have an ustic moisture regime.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wheelerwell soils are on backslopes of hills. Slope ranges from 15 to 50 percent. These soils formed in colluvium from quartzite and some dolomite. Elevations are 5,700 to 8,690 feet. The climate is sub-humid continental, cool, with moist winters and occasional summer thundershowers. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 17 inches; mean annual air temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 90 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Buckspring, Fletcherpeak and Wheelerpass soils. Buckspring soils are less than 20 inches to bedrock, calcareous and formed on limestone hills and mountains. Fletcherpeak soils are less than 20 inches to bedrock, calcareous and formed at higher elevations on limestone hills and mountains. Wheelerpass soils have a frigid soil temperature regime, are less than 20 inches to bedrock and located at higher elevations.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forest and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly singleleaf pinyon, Utah juniper, curlleaf mountainmahogany, Gambels oak, yellowleaf silktassel and bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Nevada, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County Area, Nevada, 2006. Proposed in Clark County, Nevada; Clark County Soil Survey, 2003. The name is coined from Wheeler Well located in the Spring Mountains.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
Mollic epipedon -- 0 to 7 inches (A, ABt and part of the Bt horizons).
Argillic horizon -- 2 to 27 inches (ABt, Bt and Btk horizons).
Lithic contact -- 27 inches (R horizon).
Particle-size control section -- 2 to 22 inches (ABt, Bt, and part of the Btk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.