LOCATION EBIC                    NV

Established Series
Rev. RAF/PWB/RLB/JBF
01/2019

EBIC SERIES

The Ebic series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from andesitic tuff, welded tuff and quartz latite. Ebic soils are on crests, summits and side slopes of mountains, plateaus and hills. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Typic Palexerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ebic very stony clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 10 percent stones.

A1--0 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

A2--10 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles, and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 15 cm thick)

Bt1--23 to 36 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; continuous prominent pressure faces and prominent distinct clay films lining pores; 25 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Bt2--36 to 58 cm; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct pressure faces and distinct clay films lining pores; 25 percent cobbles, 45 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (15 to 28 cm thick)

2R--58 cm; fractured andesitic tuff and quartz latite.

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; the upper end of Mining Prospect Trail approximately 4 miles east and 17 miles south of Crescent Valley; about 1,050 feet north and 260 feet east of the southwest corner of section 31, T. 27 N., R. 49 E., USGS Cortez 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 10 minutes 33 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 30 minutes 10 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.1758333 latitude, -116.5027778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist through early summer, dry mid- July through October; xeric soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 75 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 45 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent; 20 to 30 percent cobbles and stones, 25 to 45 percent gravel.

A horizons
Value 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3.

Bt horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Very cobbly clay or extremely cobbly clay.
Clay content: 50 to 60 percent in the upper part, 40 to 50 percent in the lower part.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amboat, Aninto, Boneyard, Durfee, and Ziram series. Amboat soils have a 30 to 50 cm thick mollic epipedon that includes the upper part of the argillic horizon and a depth to bedrock that is 100 to greater than 150 cm. Aninto, Boneyard and Durfee soils depth to bedrock is greater than 150 cm. Ziram soils are 100 to 150 cm deep to bedrock and have accumulations of carbonates in the lower part to the Bt horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ebic soils are on crests, summits and sideslopes of mountains, hills and plateaus. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from andesitic tuff, welded tuff and quartz latite. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,710 to 2,475 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 410 mm; mean annual temperature is 5 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Softscrabble and the competing Ziram soils. Softscrabble soils are greater than 150 cm deep to bedrock and the mollic epipedon is more than 50 cm thick.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 25 and 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County Area, Nevada, l983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 23 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 23 to 58 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Abrupt textural change - The boundary at 23 cm.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 23 to 46 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.