LOCATION WHICHMAN                NV

Established Series
WMA/RPZ/JBF
06/2017

WHICHMAN SERIES

The Whichman series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from basic igneous rocks. Whichman soils are on mountains. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C., mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm.

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Whichman cobbly loamy sand, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; few fine and many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 38 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common coarse and medium, and many fine and very fine roots; common fine and many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (25 to 38 cm thick)

Bw--38 to 64 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely stony sandy loam; brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common coarse and many medium, fine, and very fine roots; few fine and many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

C1--64 to 84 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely stony sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 25 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6);gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

C2--84 to 142 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and fine, common very fine roots; few fine and many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (30 to 75 cm thick)

R--142 cm; fractured andesite; root mats in fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Lyon County, Nevada; 4 miles south of the Flying M Ranch headquarters; about 1,300 feet east and 2,500 feet north of the southwest corner of section 17, T. 8 N., R. 27 E.; USGS Mitchell Spring 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 33 minutes 12 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 59 minutes 44 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.5533333 latitude, -118.9955556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 9 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 25 to 46 cm.
Depth to base of cambic - 50 to 76 cm.
Depth to bedrock - 100 to 150 cm.
Reaction - Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Texture: Fine earth fraction is dominantly loam and sandy loam with loamy sand in the upper part.
Percent clay: l0 to l8.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, weighted average; mostly cobbles and stones.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Percent organic matter: l to 3 percent.

Bw horizon
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.

C horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Sandy loam or loamy sand, modified with gravel, cobbles, and stones.

COMPETING SERIES: These are Cheviot, Hencratt, Pait, Redcliff and Schwalbe series.

Cheviot, Hencratt and Pait soils have lithic bedrock deeper than 150 cm. Schwalbe and Redcliff soils are 50 to 100 cm deep to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Whichman soils are on concave side slopes of hills and mountains. Slopes range from 30 to 50 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from basic igneous rock. Elevations range from 1,980 to 2,286 meters. Mean annual temperature is 8 to 10 degrees C.; and mean annual precipitation is 250 to 360 mm. Frost-free season is 80 to l00 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ister and Lapon series. Ister soils have an argillic horizon and are moderately deep to bedrock. Lapon soils have a duripan, an argillic horizon, and lack a mollic epipedon.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Whichman soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Natural vegetation is Thurber needlegrass and big sagebrush with invasion of scattered singleleaf pinyon pine and Utah juniper trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. The soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lyon County Area, Nevada, l98l.

REMARKS: REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 38 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from about 38 to 64 cm (Bw horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 25 to 100 cm (Bw, C1 and part of the A2 and C2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.