LOCATION ZORRAVISTA              NV+CA OR

Established Series
Rev. JBF/TM
05/2016

ZORRAVISTA SERIES

The Zorravista series consists of very deep, excessively drained soils that formed in mixed eolian material derived from mixed rocks. The Zorravista soils are on semi-stabilized sand dunes and sand sheets superimposed on beach terraces, lake plains, barrier bars and alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Xeric Torripsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Zorravista fine sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 10 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few micro roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

C1--10 to 74 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); diffuse smooth boundary. (43 to 90 cm thick)

C2--74 to 152 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many micro and few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; The site is located about 200 feet north and west of the southeast corner of section 17, T. 37 N., R. 19 E.; USGS Juniper Springs 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 5 minutes 2 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 52 minutes 4 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.0838889 latitude, -119.8677778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, dry mid spring through fall, moist winter and early spring; aridic bordering xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Other features: Effervescent to at least 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Less than 5 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Structure: Single grain or platy.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.

C horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4.
Texture: Fine sand, sand or loamy fine sand.
Clay content: Less than 5 percent in the upper part.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Structure: Single grain or massive.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Consistence: Soft to slightly hard or loose dry, very friable or loose moist.
Other features: Some pedons contain lacustrine lake sediments below 112 cm.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Berent, Goldrun, Grandora, Hotsprings, Incy, Lachim , Painter, Quincy, Quinton, Rinquin, Toll, Walco and Winchester series.

Berent soils are noncalcareous to a depth of 90 cm. Goldrun soils are noncalcareous to a depth of 43 to 90 cm. Hotsprings soils have 20 to 35 percent gravel in the particle-size control section. Grandora, Incy and Toll soils are noncalcareous throughout the profile. Quincy soils are noncalcareous to a depth of 38 cm. Quinton, Lachim, Painter, Rinquin and Walco soils have bedrock at a depth of 50 to 100 cm. Winchester soils are noncalcareous to a depth of 50 to 76 cm and have more than 75 percent medium sand or coarser in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zorravista soils are on semi-stabilized sand dunes and sand sheets superimposed on beach terraces, barrier bars, lake plains and alluvial fans. These soils formed in eolian materials derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations are 1,190 to 1,890 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, mean annual temperature is 8 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hinton, Lolak, Pegler and Vylach series. Hinton soils are sandy-skeletal and have a hard, firm brittle layer at 25 to 50 cm. Lolak soils are poorly drained and fine textured. Pegler soils have formed in loamy residuum from tuffs and are shallow. Vylach soils have clay loam B2t horizons and weakly silica-cemented C horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Excessively drained; very slow runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, horsebrush, spiny hopsage, Indian ricegrass and fourwing saltbush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Nevada and southeastern Oregon. These soils are extensive. MLRA 23, 24, 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area, Washoe County, Nevada. 1968.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 18 cm (A and part of the C1 horizons).
Xeric feature - Aridic soil moisture regime bordering xeric.
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 25 to 100 cm (lower C1, upper C2 horizons)

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.