LOCATION EKIM NV

Established Series
Rev. STD-DWW-JVC-JBF
01/2019

EKIM SERIES

The Ekim series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from limestone. Ekim soils are on mountains and hills. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Aridic Calcixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ekim very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 50 percent gravel.

A--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

Ak--5 to 23 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; common faint silt films on faces of peds and lining pores; 35 percent gravel; secondary carbonates segregated as less than 1 mm diameter coats on bottoms of gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Bk1--23 to 48 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores and few very fine interstitial pores; common faint silt films on faces of peds and lining pores; 45 percent gravel; secondary carbonates segregated as 1 to 2 mm diameter coats and pendants on bottoms of gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

Bk2--48 to 64 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel; secondary carbonates segregated as 1 to 2 mm diameter coats and pendants on gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 28 cm thick)

2R--64 to 84 cm; fractured limestone; 1 to 2 mm diameter pendants of secondary carbonates on bottoms of bedrock plates.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 14 miles north of Wells; about 600 feet west and 900 feet south of the northeast corner of section 4, T. 39 N., R. 62 E.; USGS Summer Camp 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 17 minutes 57 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 57 minutes 53 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.2991667 latitude, -114.9647222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry from July through October for 45 to 70 consecutive days; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon: 18 to 30 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 20 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is limestone.

A and Ak horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Granular or subangular blocky.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.

Bk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly loam or very gravelly clay loam.
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent.
Structure: Subangular blocky or it is massive.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as coats and pendants on rock fragments.
Calcium carbonate content: 20 to 30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the less than 2 mm fraction and 40 to 60 percent in the less than 20 mm fraction.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ansping, Bartine and Sanfelipe series.

Ansping soils are deep to duripans. Bartine soils have 50 to 70 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Sanfelipe soils are very deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ekim soils are on mountains and hills. They typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from limestone. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations are 2,135 to 2,655 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 400 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Belsac, Gollaher, and Hapgood soils. Belsac soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts, have mixed mineralogy, mollic epipedons more than 50 cm thick, and cryic temperature regime. Gollaher soils are very shallow to lithic contacts and have ochric epipedons. Hapgood soils are deep to lithic contacts, have mixed mineralogy, mollic epipedons more than 50 cm thick, and cryic temperature regime.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Ekim soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, basin wildrye, Nevada bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, mountain big sagebrush, and serviceberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 6,400 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRAs 25, 28A and 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County (Northeast Part), Nevada, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A and Ak horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 23 to 64 cm (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 64 cm to underlying hard bedrock (2R layer).
Particle size control section - The zone from 25 to 64 cm (Bk2 and part of the Bk1 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.