LOCATION WARDCREEK NV CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, amorphic Xeric Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Wardcreek very gravelly ashy loam on a north east facing (40 degree), 65 percent slope at an elevation of 3078 meters. When described on 08/06/2002 the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.
A--0 to 9 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) broken face very stony ashy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) rubbed moist; 50 percent sand; 35 percent silt; 15 percent clay; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, noncemented, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravels, 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.4 by Chlorophenol red); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)
AB--9 to 30 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) broken face very stony ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) broken face moist; 70 percent sand; 20 percent silt; 10 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, noncemented, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores;20 percent gravels, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.4 by Chlorophenol red); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)
Bt--30 to 45 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) broken face very stony ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) broken face moist; 70 percent sand; 18 percent silt; 12 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, noncemented, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots through medium roots throughout; few fine tubular, common medium interstitial, and many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent clay films on rock fragments and 5 percent clay bridging between sand grains; 25 percent gravels, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.4 by Chlorophenol red); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 50 cm thick)
BC--45 to 64 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) broken face very stony ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) broken face moist; 70 percent sand; 20 percent silt; 10 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, noncemented, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; many fine and medium interstitial pores; 25 percent gravels, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.4 by Chlorophenol red); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 50 cm thick)
R--64 cm; Very strongly cemented volcanic bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, NV, 562 meters west and 330 meters south of the north east corner of Section 27, Township 17N, Range 18E, 39 degrees, 18 minutes, 48.2 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees, 56 minutes, 41.7 seconds west longitude, NAD83; U.S.G.S Quad: Mount Rose.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Wardcreek soils are usually moist in the moisture control section; moist fall, winter, and spring; usually dry July through early October; Xeric moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 3 to 6 degrees C.
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 centimeters
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid
Base saturation: 5 to 35 percent. (By sum of cations)
Control section:
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, with 15 to 35 percent gravel, 5 to 20 percent
cobbles, 5 to 20 percent stones and 0 to 5 percent boulders.
Mineralogy: amorphic
A horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm): Sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Organic matter: 2 to 8 percent
Content of rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent
15 to 35 percent gravels
5 to 15 percent cobbles
5 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid
Bt or Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 through 6 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry; 4 or 6 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm): Sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Organic matter: .5 to 2 percent
Content of rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent
15 to 35 percent gravels
5 to 15 percent cobbles
5 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid
BC horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 dry; 4 moist
Chroma: 4 dry; 4 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm): Sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Organic matter: 0.1 to 1 percent
Content of rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent
15 to 35 percent gravels
5 to 15 percent cobbles
5 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wardcreek soils are in the high mountain areas in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin. Slopes are 30 to 70 percent. These soils formed in colluvium weathered from volcanic rock. Elevation is 2150 to 3150 meters. The climate is subhumid with warm dry summers and cold wet winters. Mean annual precipitation is 790 to 1600 millimeters. The mean annual temperature is 3 to 6 degrees C. Frost free season is less than 25 to 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mountrose and Melody soils. The Mountrose soils are greater than 150 inches to bedrock and can be found on less erosive more linear or concave surfaces. Melody soils are less than 50 cm to bedrock and are found on shoulders and are typically accompanied by rock outcrop.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high runoff; rapid permeability above the bedrock. The soils are not flooded.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for wildlife and recreation. Vegetation is predominantly forbes such as coyote mint and mules ear with scattered California red fir and western white pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and Nevada in MLRA 22A. These soils are of minor extent. MLRA: 22A -- Sierra Nevada Mountains
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Washoe County, NV. Source of name: from local creek.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: from the mineral soil surface to 64 cm, the A, AB, Bt and BC horizons
Andic properties: 0 to 64 cm, the A, AB, Bt, and BC horizons
Cambic horizon: 30 to 64 cm, the Bt and BC horizons