LOCATION INDIAN CREEK NV+CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic, shallow Xeric Argidurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Indian Creek extremely gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
AE--0 to 1 inch; gray (10YR 6/1) extremely gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thick and moderate thin platy structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common fine and very fine vesicular pores; few uncoated sand grains; 55 percent pebbles and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt, wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A--1 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine granular; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; many uncoated sand grains; 15 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--3 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; few uncoated sand grains; many faint clay films on peds; 15 percent rock fragments; slightly acid (pH 6.1) abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt2--5 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium mainly exped roots; many pressure cutans; 20 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt3--11 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots, mostly exped; few very fine and tubular pores; many pressure cutans; 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt4--19 to 20 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular and common fine and very fine interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 30 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
2Bqkm--20 to 25 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) cemented material, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; extremely hard and very hard; extremely firm and very firm; indurated by secondary silica and carbonates; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 70 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
2Cqk--25 to 36 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 75 percent pebbles and some cobbles; slightly effervescent; secondary carbonate segregated as coats on bottoms of rock fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
2Ck--36 to 51 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 80 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine coats on bottoms of rock fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
2C--51 to 64 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; 60 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; about 9 miles southeast of Gardnerville; approximately 1,520 feet west and 1,500 feet north of the southeast corner of section 12, T. 11 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Carters Station 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 49 minutes 40 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 40 minutes 54 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist during winter and spring; dry in summer and fall; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 50 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 14 to 20 inches.
Depth to duripan - 14 to 20 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 55 percent; Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are igneous rocks such as basalt and granodiorite.
AE and A horizons - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Other features: There is commonly a desert pavement of pebbles, cobbles, and stones lightly coated with a patina of mineral varnish on the soil surface.
Bt horizons - Hue: 10YR through 5YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay, sandy clay, gravelly clay loam, or gravelly clay.
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent, mainly pebbles.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
2Bqkm horizon - Continuous indurated cap or plates with strong silica cementation below.
2Cqk and 2C horizons - Texture: Stratified extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand to gravelly sandy clay loam.
Rock fragments: 25 to 60 percent pebbles, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones.
Reaction: Neutral through strongly alkaline.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occur as filaments, masses, or coats on bottoms of rock fragments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Buffaran, Lud, Midraw, and Norfork series.
Buffaran soils have duripans more than 40 inches thick. Lud, Midraw, and Norfork soils have lithic contacts within 40 inches of the soil surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Indian Creek soils are on high stream terraces and dissected fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous rocks. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 4,500 to 6,000 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches, the mean annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Borda, Cassiro, and Reno soils. Borda soils are deep and do not have duripans. Cassiro soils are deep, clayey-skeletal, have mollic epipedons, and do not have duripans. Reno soils are moderately deep to duripans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Indian Creek soils are used for rangeland, recreation, urban development, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is low sagebrush, cheatgrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, Sandberg's bluegrass, and milkvetch.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 26, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 23.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Nevada, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 3 inches (AE and A horizons).
Albic horizon - The zone from the soil surface to 1 inch (AE horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 3 to 20 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 20 to 25 inches (2Bqkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 5 to 20 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: The typical pedon at the series type location has full characterization data by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S60NV-005-002 (pedon # 40A3152). The data is published in Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 23 on pages 8-9a.