LOCATION RUCLICK ID+OR

Established Series
Rev. ALH/DA/CLM
06/2013

RUCLICK SERIES

The Ruclick series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and alluvium mainly from basalt. They are on foothills and tablelands. Permeability is slow. Slopes range from 0 to 70 percent. Average annual precipitation is about 12 inches, and average annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Aridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ruclick cobbly loam -- on a east-facing slope of 3 percent, in native rangeland, at 4,920 feet elevation. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on June 20, 1983, the soil was moist below 2 inches.)

A--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 5 percent gravel; 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

BA--5 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)

Bt1--10 to 21 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 17 inches thick)

Bt2--21 to 29 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; 45 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (2 to 18 inches thick)

R--29 inches; fractured weathered basalt with clay in cracks.

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 42 miles west of Grasmere; 800 feet south and 900 feet west of the northeast corner of section 21, T. 12 S., R. 3 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 54 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 8 to 15 inches
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Soil moisture - dry 45 to 90 days after July 15

A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Rock fragments - 15 to 60 percent
Reaction (pH) - slightly acid to mildly alkaline

Bt horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Structure - prismatic or angular blocky
Texture - GR-C, GRV-C, GRX-C, CBV-C, CBX-C, GR-CL, GRV-CL, GRX-CL, CBV-CL, CBV-SICL, GR-SIC, or GRV-SIC
Clay content - 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments (average) - 35 to 75 percent
Reaction (pH) - neutral through moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cassiro, Eglirim, Hyall, and Pickup series. Cassiro, Eglirim and Hyall soils lack lithic contacts above 40 inches. Pickup soils have a subhorizon of the argillic with greater than 50 percent clay.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ruclick soils are on summits, dipslopes, and sideslopes of foothills and tablelands at elevations of 4,000 to 6,500 feet in Idaho, and as low as 1,200 feet in Oregon. Slopes range from 0 to 70 percent. These soils formed in alluvium, colluvium,and residuum from basalt, welded tuff and volcanic ash. The climate is cool and moist in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 11 to 14 inches and as low as 9 inches in Oregon. The average annual temperature ranges from 45 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free period is 80 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Oshone, Perla, and Weash series. Perla soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments and are on similar landscape positions. Weash soils are shallow to welded ash and lack argillic horizons. Oshone soils are not skeletal and are moderately deep to a duripan. Oshone and Weash soils occur on terraces.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Ruclick soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho, California and Oregon. MLRA 25, 21. Ruclick soils are of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County, Idaho, 1975.

REMARKS: The 1990 revision changed the type location but did not significantly change the series concept.

Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:

Mollic epipedon - zone from 0 to 12 inches (A1, A2, and AB)

Argillic horizon - zone from 10 to 29 inches (Bt1 and Bt2)

Aridic feature - soil has an aridic soil moisture regime.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.