LOCATION RUTAB                   NV+OR

Established Series
Rev: OAC-RAF-RLB/JBF
11/2016

RUTAB SERIES

The Rutab series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a component of loess and volcanic ash. Rutab soils are on fan skirts and stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Xeric Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Rutab loam==rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

A1--0 to 10 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many fine and very fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 10 cm thick)

A2--10 to 15 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 cm thick)

Bw--15 to 28 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 28 cm thick)

2Bw--28 to 56 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 35 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 36 cm thick)

3C--56 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores; 65 percent gravel; slightly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0)

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; approximately 30 miles northwest of Eureka in Kobeh Valley; about 1,800 feet south and 200 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 16, T. 21 N., R. 49 E.; USGS Bartine Ranch NW 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 41 minutes 16 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 27 minutes 33 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.6877778 latitude, -116.4591667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and early spring, dry mid-June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Thickness of A and Bw horizons: 33 to 58 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 5 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.

A horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, dry.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bw horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Loam or gravelly loam.

2Bw horizon
Texture: Very gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent, mainly gravel.
Structure: Subangular blocky or the horizon is massive.
Durinodes: Up to 15 percent in some pedons.

3C horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Extremely gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly loamy coarse sand, extremely gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, mainly gravel.
Durinodes: 5 to 10 percent, in some pedons. Commonly very hard, firm and brittle. Effervescent or strongly effervescent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Oreneva, Packham and Rinconflat series.

Oreneva soils have bedrock at depths of 50 to 100 cm. Packham and Rinconflat soils have more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rutab soils are on fan skirts and stream terraces. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with a component of loess and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations are 1,555 to 2,290 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm; mean annual temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Coils, Handy and Pedoli soils. Coils soils have an argillic horizon with more than 35 percent clay and have a duripan at depths of 50 to 100 cm. Handy soils have an argillic horizon with more than 35 percent clay. Pedoli soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, small rabbitbrush, Indian ricegrass, Thurber needlegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail. Some areas are seeded to crested wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada and Southeastern Oregon. These soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 18 cm (A1, A2 and part of the Bw horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 15 to 56 cm (Bw and 2Bw horizons).
Xeric feature - The soil moisture regime and organic carbon content meets the requirements for xeric.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (2Bw and parts of the Bw and 3C horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.