LOCATION WYLO NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. JBF-EW-TM-JVC
01/2020

WYLO SERIES

The Wylo series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from basalt. Wylo soils are on hills, mountains, and plateaus. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic Aridic Lithic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Wylo very cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 7 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 45 percent gravel.

A--0 to 10 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine vesicular and common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

Bt1--10 to 18 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct and many faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick).

Bt2--18 to 28 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many prominent pressure cutans on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Bt3--28 to 38 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many prominent pressure cutans on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

R--38 cm; hard fractured basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; west of the Smoke Creek Desert about 1 mile southeast of Burro Mountain Pass; approximately 1,300 feet north and 1,920 feet west of the southeast corner of section 17, T. 31 N., R. 19 E.; USGS Salt Marsh 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 33 minutes 28.9 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 52 minutes 6.8 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.5580278 latitude, -119.8685556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist during winter and spring, dry during summer and fall; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 15 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 28 cm; includes at least one upper subhorizon of the argillic horizon.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm to a lithic contact.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles. Lithology of fragments is volcanic rocks such as basalt.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.

Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3 in the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons, 3 or 4 in the Bt3 horizon, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly clay loam, gravelly clay, or cobbly clay.
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent; some pedons have thin subhorizons with up to 55 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent; some pedons have thin subhorizons with up to 45 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bidrim, Brezniak, Cullius, Devada, and Dunnlake series.

Bidrim soils are 25 to 36 cm deep to a lithic contact, average 5 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and have subhorizons of the argillic horizon with slickensides and 55 to 65 percent clay. Brezniak soils have mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 10 degrees C. Cullius soils have mean annual soil temperature of 9 to 12 degrees C. and have 0 to 10 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Devada soils have mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 12 degrees C. and have abrupt boundaries and an abrupt increase in clay between the A and Bt horizons. Dunnlake soils have mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 12 degrees C.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wylo soils are on hills, mountains, and plateaus. They typically occur on all slope positions. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from basalt. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 1,400 to 2,100 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 8 to 12 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bucklake, Jaybee, and Pickup soils. Bucklake soils are fine and are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Jaybee soils are loamy and have ochric epipedons. Pickup soils are clayey-skeletal and are moderately deep to lithic contacts.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Wylo soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Lahontan sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, Thurber's needlegrass, littleleaf horsebrush, Sandberg's bluegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are extensive with about 126,000 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 23, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County, Nevada (Central Part), 1990.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 38 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 38 cm to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 38 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).

Classification was updated to 11th edition on 07/2011 changed from Lithic Argixerolls to Aridic Lithic Argixerolls

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS pedon and site ID 07NV771Y116amb.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.