LOCATION ZAIDY                   NV

Established Series
Rev. CEJ/RLB/JBF
12/2016

ZAIDY SERIES

The Zaidy series consists of moderately deep over strongly cemented duripan, well drained soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed volcanic rocks. Zaidy soils occur on fan piedmont remnants. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. The annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Haploxeralfic Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Zaidy very gravelly fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.). The surface is covered by approximately 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 13 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

Bt--13 to 20 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Btk--20 to 36 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; common faint and few distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel; few fine soft carbonate masses; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 38 cm thick)

Bqk--36 to 64 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; 20 percent weak discontinuous silica cementation; common medium soft carbonate masses and filaments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 36 cm thick)

Bqkm1--64 to 81 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) continuous strongly cemented duripan, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong thick platy structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine and very fine roots along horizontal fracture planes; 5 percent gravel; 20 percent horizontal seams of weakly cemented material; soft powdery carbonate is disseminated; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (17 to 56 cm thick)

Bqkm2--81 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) strongly cemented duripan with a discontinuous thin indurated cap, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; 10 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; soft powdery carbonate is disseminated; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; in the southern part of Grass Valley; approximately 1,050 feet south and 1,000 feet west of the northeast corner of section 11, T. 20 N., R. 45 E.; USGS Mount Callaghan 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 36 minutes 53 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 52 minutes 46 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.6322222 latitude, -116.8794444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part mid October through May; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C.
Depth to base of Btk horizon: 30 to 64 cm.
Depth to carbonates: 20 to 38 cm.
Depth to duripan: 50 to 76 cm.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Average 10 to 35 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

Bt horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6.
Texture: Loam, clay loam or gravelly clay loam.
Consistence: Very friable to friable, slightly sticky to sticky, slightly plastic to plastic.
Other features: SAR is 6 to l3.

Btk horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 5.
Texture: Loam, clay loam or gravelly clay loam.
Carbonates: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Consistence: Slightly sticky to sticky and slightly plastic to plastic.

Bqk horizon (when present)
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard, friable to firm.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aquinas, Boulflat, Cherry Spring, Eastval, Spasprey, and Yody series.

Aquinas and Yody soils have duripans at depths of 76 to 100 cm. Boulflat soils have bedrock within depths of 50 to 100 cm. Cherry Spring soils have silt loam textures dominated by loess high in pyroclastics, strongly alkaline lower Bt horizons and lack Btk horizons. Eastval soils have a Bt horizon with 35 to 50 percent clay. Spasprey soils have mean annual soil temperatures of 11 to 12 degrees C.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zaidy soils are fan piedmont remnants. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed volcanic rocks. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,740 to 2,260 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm; mean annual temperature is 8 to 9 degrees C; and the frost-free season is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Allor, Grassval and Oxcorel soils. Allor soils lack a duripan. Grassval soils have an indurated duripan within 50 cm. Oxcorel soils have more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; low saturated hydraulic conductivity to the duripan.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly black sagebrush, pine bluegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and downy rabbitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are of small extent. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, Nevada, South Part, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 13 cm (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 13 to 36 cm (Bt and Btk horizons).
Strongly cemented duripan - The zone from 64 to 152 cm (Bqkm1 and Bqkm2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 64 cm (Bt, Btk and Bqk horizons).

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.