LOCATION KIMMERLING NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kimmerling clay loam--meadow. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 8 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, s1ightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
A3--8 to 18 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; common fine prominent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist, masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
Ag1--18 to 28 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay loam, black (5Y 2.5/1) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
Ag2--28 to 48 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (5Y 3/1) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and few fine roots; few very fine prominent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist, masses of iron accumulation and few fine prominent dark greenish gray (5G 4/1) moist, zones of iron depletion; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (18 to 23 inches thick)
Cg--48 to 60 inches; light gray (5Y 6/1) stratified sandy clay loam and silty clay loam, gray (5Y 5/1) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine and medium prominent greenish gray (5GY 5/1) moist, zones of iron depletion and few medium and coarse prominent black (5YR 2.5/1) moist, masses of manganese accumulation; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; in Carson Valley about 1.75 miles southwest of Gardnerville; 400 feet north and 1,700 feet west of the southeast corner of section 6, T. 12 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Minden 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 55 minutes 34 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 46 minutes 29 seconds west longitude, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually saturated in some part of the moisture control section during winter and spring, dry in all parts in summer and fall unless irrigated; seasonal periods of aquic moisture regime between December and May during saturation with ground water and anaerobic conditions; an aridic moisture regime exists during the growing season in normal years after ground water levels drop below the moisture control section.
Mean annual soil temperature - 48 to 53 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 24 to 50 inches.
Depth to horizons with aquic conditions - 6 to 20 inches.
Control section - Clay content: averages 25 to 35 percent; Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent, mainly pebbles. Lithology of fragments are igneous rocks such as granite and andesite and metamorphic rocks such as gneiss.
Other features - Some horizons have mica grains evident, but in amounts less than 65 percent by grain count.
A horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified fine sandy loam to silty clay loam averaging clay loam.
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Structure: Granular or subangular blocky.
Organic matter content: 1 to 5 percent.
Ag horizons - Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified fine sandy loam to silty clay loam averaging clay loam.
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 2 percent.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Redoximorphic features: Redox depletion of iron is present as the gleyed, low chroma matrix or smaller zones of iron depletions. Redox concentrations occur as masses of iron and manganese accumulation.
Cg horizon - Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified gravelly loamy sand to si1ty clay loam, clay, silty clay, or cobbly sandy loam.
Clay content: 5 to 60 percent.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Redoximorphic features: Redox depletion of iron is present as the gleyed, low chroma matrix or smaller zones of iron depletions. Redox concentrations occur as masses of iron and manganese accumulation.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Coland, Glencoe, Gus, James Canyon, Keddie, Konner, Lundlake, McClave, Roundval, Shandep, and Wenas series. Potential competitors in other families are the Comfrey, Delft, Excello, Gielow, Nosal, Peoh, and Romnell series.
Coland, Comfrey, Delft, Excello, Gielow, Glencoe, Gus, Konner, Lundlake, McClave, Peoh, Romnell, and Shandep soils do not have an aridic moisture regime. James Canyon soils average 15 to 35 percent rock fragments and 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have a xeric moisture regime. Keddie soils average 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have a xeric moisture regime. Nosal soils have horizons with more than 35 percent rock fragments between 40 and 60 inches. Roundval soils have mean annual soil temperature of 55 to 59 degrees F. Wenas soils have thick horizons of strongly contrasting sandy textures between 40 and 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kimmerling soils are on flood plains. The microtopography is level to slightly concave. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 4,500 to 5,500 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches, mean annual temperature is 46 to 51 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cradlebaugh, Dressler, Heidtman, and Settlemeyer soils. Cradlebaugh soils are fine-loamy, calcareous, and have thinner mollic epipedons. Dressler soils are coarse-loamy, have endosaturation between 40 and 60 inches, and have thinner mollic epipedons. Heidtman soils are fine-loamy and have aquic conditions below 36 inches. Settlemeyer soils are fine-loamy and have thinner mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; low or medium surface runoff; moderately slow permeability above 40 inches and moderately rapid to slow permeability below 40 inches. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 0.5 and 1.7 feet (very shallow or shallow free water occurrence classes) from December through May. Cumulative annual duration classes are Common or Persistent. Water tables fluctuate with irrigation on nearby higher lying soils and to some extent with fluctuation in adjacent river channels. These soils are susceptible to occasional flooding for brief periods between December and May.
USE AND VEGETATION: Kimmerling soils are used for pasture and improved irrigated meadows. The vegetation is principally sedges, rushes, native clovers, and inland saltgrass. On areas used for irrigated improved meadows the vegetation may include red, alsike, and strawberry clovers, bluegrass, fescues, and foxtail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 4,000 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 26.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Carson City Area, Nevada, 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 48 inches (A1, A2, A3, Ag1, and Ag2 horizons).
Aquic conditions - The conditions of endosaturation and reduction in horizons between 6 and 60 inches at certain times in normal years (A2, A3, Ag1, Ag2, and Cg horizons).
Particle size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Ag1 horizon and parts of the A3 and Ag2 horizons).