LOCATION RASILLE                 NV

Established Series
Rev. CEJ/GJS/JBF
03/2016

RASILLE SERIES

The Rasille series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from loess and mixed rocks. These soils are on beach terraces, inset fans and fan skirts. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Rasille silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--5 to 15 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Bw--15 to 36 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

Bq--36 to 61 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent 5 to l5 mm weakly cemented durinodes; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 23 cm thick)

Bqk1--61 to 81 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 40 percent 5 to l5 mm strongly cemented durinodes; common fine carbonate filaments and threads; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (18 to 33 cm thick)

Bqk2--81 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent 10 to 25 mm weakly cemented durinodes; few fine carbonate filaments and threads; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; about l,000 feet south and l,000 feet east of the apparent southwest corner of section 2, T. l9 N., R. 40 E.; USGS Mount Airy 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 31 minutes 0 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 27 minutes 1 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.5166667 latitude, -117.4502778 longitude

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry mid-June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to carbonates: 30 to 60 cm.
Depth to Bq and/or Bqk horizon: 30 to 60 cm and consists of 20 to 50 percent durinodes in a friable matrix.
Other features: Some pedons have gravelly substrata below 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Sand content: less than l5 percent fine sand or coarser.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bw horizon
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bqk horizon
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Rad series. Rad has less than l0 percent clay in the particle size control section and a continuously weak silica cemented horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rasille soils occur on beach terraces, inset fans and fan skirts. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with an admixture of loess. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 1,250 to 1,955 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 180 to 250 mm; mean annual temperature is 8 to 9 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kelk, McConnel and Wholan soils. Kelk soils have more than l8 percent clay in the particle-size control section. McConnel soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the substratum. Wholan soils receive less moisture and lack Bq horizons with durinodes in a friable matrix.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24 and 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, Nevada, South Part, 1985.

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 horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 15 to 38 cm (Bw horizon).
Duric horizon - The zone from 38 to 150 cm (Bq, Bqk1 and
Bqk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bq, Bqk1 and part of the Bw and Bqk2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.