LOCATION WINDWASH                NV

Established Series
Rev. CWL/PWB/TM/JBF
12/2019

WINDWASH SERIES

The Windwash series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone and dolomite. Windwash soils are on mountains. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 600 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 2 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic Xeric Calcicryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Windwash extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand--wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 8 percent stones, and 2 percent boulders. Solifluction lobes that are 2 to 3 meter wide, about 20 to 30 cm high, cover about 50 percent of the surface area.

A1--0 to 8 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine, few medium tubular and interstitial pores; 41 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 70 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

A2--8 to 15 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine, few medium tubular and interstitial pores; 37 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

Bk--15 to 33 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine, common medium roots; common very fine and fine, many medium tubular and interstitial pores; 60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and common (10 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretion on the bottom of rock fragments forming 1 mm pendants; 60 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

C1--33 to 46 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine, few medium interstitial pores; 46 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

C2--46 to 56 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine, few fine and medium interstitial pores; 55 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

R--56 cm; indurated, fractured limestone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; in Great Basin National Park about 0.25 mile southwest of Mount Washington and 200 feet west of the parking area at the end of the road; about 1,760 feet south and 1,320 feet west of the northeast corner section 11, T. 12 N., R. 68 E.; USGS Wheeler Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 54 minutes 42 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 18 minutes 37 seconds W; UTM zone 11N, 733691.18e, 4311346.82n, WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.9116667 latitude, -114.3102778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; Most of the moisture that falls on the site is in the form of snow and is removed from these convex slopes by the wind; Xeric soil moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 1 to 4 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature - 8 to 10 degrees C.
Depth to calcic horizon - 10 to 20 cm.
Calcic horizon thickness - 15 to 30 cm.
Depth to bedrock - 50 to 100 cm to a lithic contact.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is limestone.

A horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, and 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, dry.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 35 to 45 percent.

Bk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, and 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam, sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent. Texture modifier is extremely gravelly.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 50 to 70 percent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Common to many (3 to 25 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions around and on the bottom of rock fragments, increasing with depth.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

C horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, and 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam, sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent. Texture modifier is extremely gravelly.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, dry.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 60 percent.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Reaction - Moderately or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adek, Bakerpeak, Bealand, Linpeak, and Piar series.
Adek and Bakerpeak soils are very deep.
Bealand soils have less than 50 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
Linpeak soils are 76 to 100 cm deep to the calcic horizon.
Piar soils are deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Windwash soils are on mountains. They typically occur on shoulder and summit positions.
These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone and dolomite. Solifluction lobes that are 2 to 3 meters wide, about 20 to 30 cm high, are most abundant on slopes less than 25 percent and cover about 50 percent of the surface area.
Slopes are 8 to 50 percent.
Elevations range from 2,770 to 4,000 meters.
The climate is typical of alpine tundra, with cold, wet winters and cool, dry summers.
The mean annual precipitation is 500 to 700 mm.
The mean annual temperature is 0 to 3 degrees C.
The frost-free period is 20 to 40 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Keyole and Bricone soils.
Keyole soils are very deep, have mixed mineralogy, and have cambic horizons. Bricone soils are shallow.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Windwash soils are used for recreation, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly Wheeler bluegrass, snowy springparsley, Holgren's eriogonum, and Ross's sedge.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 2009. The name is from a local peak.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A1 and A2 horizons and part of the Bk horizon).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 15 to 33 cm (Bk horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 56 cm to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the 25 to 56 cm (C1 and C2 horizons and part of the Bk horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS user pedon ID: 07NV778041-CWL.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.