LOCATION EIGHTMILE               NV

Established Series
Rev. OAC/RAF/GJS/JBF
05/2016

EIGHTMILE SERIES

The Eightmile series consists of shallow, well drained, soils that formed in residuum derived from shale, sandstone, and quartzite. Eightmile soils are on mountain side slopes. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid, frigid, shallow Xeric Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Eightmile very gravelly loam-woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

A--0 to 8 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slighty plastic; few fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine vesicular pores; 35 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

C--8 to 23 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores; 70 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 28 cm thick)

Cr--23 to 61 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) highly fractured shale, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few fine roots along cracks; clear wavy boundary. (22 to 56 cm thick)

R--61 cm; shale.

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, approximately 24 miles south of Eureka in the lower end of the Fish Creek Range; about 1,200 feet north of southwest corner of section 10, T. l5 N., R 52 E. Mount Diablo base line and meridian; latitude 39 degrees 11 minutes 02 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 06 minutes 34 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.1869444 latitude, -116.104722 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, late June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to paralithic contact: 15 to 36 cm.
Depth to lithic contact: 60 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, mostly angular gravel and cobbles.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
C horizon
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Very gravelly loam, very cobbly loam, or extremely gravelly loam.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Eightmile soils are on mountain sideslopes. These soils formed in residuum derived from shale, sandstone, and quartzite. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,955 to 2,445 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 400 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 50 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mau and Shagnasty soils. Depth to bedrock is more than 50 cm in both soils.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland, rangeland, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper with an understory of Wyoming big sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, black sagebrush, small rabbitbrush, needlegrass, and cheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 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:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and part of the C horizons)
Paralithic contact - The boundary at about 23 cm. (Cr layer).
Lithic contact - The boundary at about 61 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the soil surface to about 23 cm (A and C horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.