LOCATION WYLO NV+CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wylo very cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 7 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 45 percent gravel.
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine vesicular and common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct and many faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick).
Bt2--7 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many prominent pressure cutans on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt3--11 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many prominent pressure cutans on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
R--15 inches; hard fractured basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; west of the Smoke Creek Desert about 1 mile southeast of Burro Mountain Pass; approximately 1,300 feet north and 1,920 feet west of the southeast corner of section 17, T. 31 N., R. 19 E.; USGS Salt Marsh 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 33 minutes 28.9 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 52 minutes 6.8 seconds west longitude, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist during winter and spring, dry during summer and fall; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 54 to 59 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 11 inches; includes at least one upper subhorizon of the argillic horizon.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 14 to 20 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 14 to 20 inches to a lithic contact.
Reaction - Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles. Lithology of fragments is volcanic rocks such as basalt.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3 in the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons, 3 or 4 in the Bt3 horizon, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly clay loam, gravelly clay, or cobbly clay.
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent; some pedons have thin subhorizons with up to 55 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent; some pedons have thin subhorizons with up to 45 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bidrim, Brezniak, Cullius, Devada, Deven, Devnot, and Dunnlake series.
Bidrim soils are 10 to 14 inches deep to a lithic contact, average 5 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section, and have subhorizons of the argillic horizon with slickensides and 55 to 65 percent clay. Brezniak soils have mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F. Cullius soils have mean annual soil temperature of 48 to 54 degrees F. and have 0 to 10 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Devada soils have mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 53 degrees F. and have abrupt boundaries and an abrupt increase in clay between the A and Bt horizons. Deven soils average less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and have a xeric moisture regime. Devnot soils have mean annual soil temperature of 48 to 52 degrees F. and have a xeric moisture regime. Dunnlake soils have mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 53 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wylo soils are on hills, mountains, and plateaus. They typically occur on all slope positions. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from basalt. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 4,600 to 6,840 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 47 to 54 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bucklake, Jaybee, and Pickup soils. Bucklake soils are fine and are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Jaybee soils are loamy and have ochric epipedons. Pickup soils are clayey-skeletal and are moderately deep to lithic contacts.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; slow permeability (moderately low or moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Wylo soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Lahontan sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, Thurber's needlegrass, littleleaf horsebrush, Sandberg's bluegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are extensive with about 126,000 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 23, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 27.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County, Nevada (Central Part), 1990.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 7 inches (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 4 to 15 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 15 inches to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 4 to 15 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
NASIS pedon and site ID 07NV771Y116amb.