LOCATION DAVEY NV+CA ID OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Davey loamy fine sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 14 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
C--14 to 24 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 25 inches thick)
Ck--24 to 67 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates disseminated in the matrix; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, Nevada; in the Quinn River Valley about 3 miles north of Orovada and 2.25 miles northwest on an angling road; approximately 2,400 feet west and 200 feet south of the northeast corner of section 9, T. 43 N., R. 37 E.; USGS Willow Creek Ranch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 37 minutes 38 seconds north latitude and 117 degrees 49 minutes 02 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring, dry May through October; dry about 150 to 180 consecutive days when soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.
Depth to base of cambic horizon - 11 to 23 inches.
Depth to carbonates - 0 to 30 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 5 to 10 percent;
Rock fragments: Averages less than 15 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are mixed rocks.
Other features - Some pedons have gypsum crystals below a depth of 20 inches; Some pedons in Nevada have weakly cemented or strong cemented duripans below a depth of 50 inches; Some pedons in Oregon lack carbonates within a depth of 60 inches.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist; dry value is 6 or 7 when the upper 7 inches of the soil is mixed.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Fine sandy loam or sandy loam, some pedons have subhorizons that are gravelly sandy loam.
Structure: Prismatic, subangular blocky, or it is massive.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.
C or Ck horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand; but thin strata of fine sandy loam or coarse sand are in some pedons; Some pedons have strata with texture of very fine sandy loam or silt loam below a depth of 40 inches.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to violently effervescent in the Ck horizon.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as few or common filaments, patchy coats on rock fragments, or disseminated in the matrix.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent.
Cementation: Up to 10 percent weakly cemented durinodes are below a depth of 20 inches in some pedons.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur in some pedons as relict masses of iron accumulation below depths of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fortbois (T), Springbar, and Timmerman series.
Fortbois soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 53 to 55 degrees F. and are dry about 120 to 150 consecutive days when soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. Springbar soils average 15 to 30 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and have moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline reaction throughout. Timmerman soils are dominated by coarse sands in the particle-size control section, have mean annual soil temperature of 50 to 56 degrees F., and have a frost-free period of 130 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Davey soils are on sand sheets, lagoons, alluvial fans, basin-floor remnants, and fan skirts. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 45 percent. Elevations range from 4,000 to 6,100 feet and are 2,300 to 5,300 feet in Idaho. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 7 to 12 inches, the mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 80 to 130 days. In Idaho, the mean annual temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. and the frost-free period is 120 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Enko, Goldrun, McConnel, Orovada, and Rebel soils. Enko, Orovada, and Rebel soils are coarse-loamy. Goldrun soils lack cambic horizons. McConnel soils are sandy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium through very low surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability (high saturated hydraulic conductivity) in the upper part over rapid permeability (high or very high saturated hydraulic conductivity) in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Davey soils are used for rangeland, wildlife habitat, and irrigated cropland. Small grains, alfalfa hay, and alfalfa seed are the principal irrigated crops. The vegetation in rangeland is principally Wyoming big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, spiny hopsage, Indian ricegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, kochia, and scurfpea.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Nevada, northeastern California, south-central Oregon, and south-central Idaho. These soils are extensive with about 169,000 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 24, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 11 in Idaho; MLRA 23 in California, Nevada, and Oregon; and MLRAs 26 and 27 in Nevada.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County (North Part), Nevada, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 5 inches (A horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 5 to 14 inches (Bw horizon).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 24 to 67 inches (Ck horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (C horizon and parts of the Bw and Ck horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Riverside California Soil Lab S61NV-7-5 (61556-61560) and S61NV-7-6 (61561-61565)