LOCATION LOOMER NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Loomer extremely cobbly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent cobbles and 25 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--4 to 12 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) extremely cobbly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong very fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; continuous thin clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bt3--12 to 19 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) extremely gravelly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; continuous thick clay film coating rock fragments; 70 percent angular pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
R--19 inches; fractured andesite; clay coatings line fractures; few very fine roots in the upper few inches of fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; approximately 1,200 feet east and 700 feet south of the northwest corner of section 1, T. 13 N., R. 23 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Moist in late fall to spring, dry from summer to early fall.
Soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 10 inches. When mixed, the upper 7 inches has value of less than 5.5 dry and 3.5 moist and chroma of less than 3.5 moist.
Depth to bedrock - 14 to 20 inches.
Other features - Upper bedrock is commonly fractured.
Control section - Percent clay: 35 to 50 percent.
Percent rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, mostly angular pebbles and cobbles.
Reaction - Neutral or mildly alkaline.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Bt1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, mainly pebbles or cobbles.
Bt2 and Bt3 horizons - Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly clay loam or clay.
Percent clay: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, mainly angular pebbles and cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Camaspatch (T)(WA),
Flatron (T)(ID),
Gwinly (OR),
Laufer (WA),
Longcreek (CA),
Lorella (OR),
Pioche (NV),
Ruckles (OR),
Vantage (T)(WA) and
Waterbury series. Camaspatch soils do not have an aridic soil moisture regime. Flatron soils have mollic epipedons
that are 10 to 20 inches thick and have 50 to 60 percent clay in the control section. Gwinly soils are usually moist and are dry 60 to 80 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Laufer soils have mollic epipedons 10 to 20 inches thick and include the entire argillic horizon. Longcreek soils have a mollic epipedon that is 7 to 14 inches and dry for 140 days out of 160 days when soil temperatures exceed 41 degrees F. Lorella soils have an abrupt A-B boundary and a 2Bt horizon with 40 to 60 percent rock fragments. Pioche soils are intermittently moist for short periods in the summer and the solum thickness and depth to bedrock is 6 to 14 inches. Ruckles and Waterbury soils have a Bt horizon with 50 to 60 percent clay. Vantage soils contain a Btq horizon and have 30 percent silica coating on bedrock and contain 45 to 60 percent clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Loomer soils are on the side slopes and ridges of low hills. These soils formed in residuum weathered from rhyolite, andesite and basalt. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. Elevations are 5,000 to 8,000 feet. The summers are hot and dry and the winters are cold and moist. The mean annual precipitation is 7 to 10 inches; mean annual temperature 45 to 50 degrees F.; and the frost-free season is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Olac and Zephan soils. Olac soils have an ochric epipedon and a loamy argillic horizon. The Zephan soils have an ochric epipedon and are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high to very high runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, Nevada ephedra, desert needlegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. Loomer soils are of moderate extent. MLRA 26, 27.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County Area, Nevada 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to about 7 inches, after mixing (A, Bt1 and upper Bt2 horizons). The organic carbon is presumed to be less than 0.6 percent below 7 inches.
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 2 to 19 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary between soil and bedrock (R horizon) at about 19 inches.
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 2 to 19 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).