LOCATION RIPCON                  NV

Established Series
Rev. CWL/PWB/JBF
02/2012

RIPCON SERIES

The Ripcon series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from limestone, dolomite, quartzite and granitic rocks. Ripcon soils are on drainageways. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 375 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6.5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Cumulic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ripcon gravelly loam--forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 5 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 12 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong medium granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

A2--12 to 38 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

ABk--38 to 84 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine, and few fine, medium, and coarse tubular and interstitial pores; common (5 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments; 70 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (40 to 60 cm thick)

Bk1--84 to 127 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine, fine, and medium, and few coarse tubular and interstitial pores; common (10 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments; 70 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8). (30 to 50 cm thick)

Bk2--127 to 158 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse interstitial pores; common (5 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretion on bottom of rock fragments; 60 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9).

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; in the South Snake Creek Range, in Great Basin National Park, along Snake Creek, about 4 miles east of Shoshone Camp Ground, and 0.25 miles east of Bonita Mine at a small camp site; USGS Kious Spring 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 54 minutes 57.2 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 08 minutes 54.6 seconds W; UTM zone 11, 0747230e, 4311309n, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; This soil receives additional run-on moisture. These soils have a transitory seasonal water table within 100 cm of the surface during brief periods in the spring in most years; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 85 cm, with an irregular organic carbon distribution.
Depth to cambic horizon: 50 to 85 cm.
Cambic horizon thickness: 30 to 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent. Lithology of the fragments is mainly limestone.

A1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.

A2 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Texture: Loam or sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent;
Texture modifier: Very gravelly or extremely gravelly.

ABk and Bk horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Structure: Weak to moderate, very fine through coarse subangular blocky.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, dry.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.
Other features: Some pedons contain thin subhorizons with less than 60 percent rock fragments but when averaged it is 60 to 80 percent.
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Steptoe and Tierney series.

Steptoe soils have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section, are well drained and only very rarely flooded. Tierney soils are slightly acid to neutral in upper part and neutral to slightly alkaline in the lower part of the profile, and they do not receive summer precipitation, and do not have Bk horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ripcon soils are on drainageways in mountains. These soils formed in alluvium derived from limestone, dolomite, quartzite and granitic rocks. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 1,850 to 2,450 meters. The climate is dry-subhumid with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 450 mm. These soils receive additional run-on moisture making it wetter than the precipitation zone would indicate. Mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C. The frost-free period is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigwash and Lehmandow series. Bigwash soils contain 5 to 15 percent rock fragments. Lehmandow soils are poorly drained and have 20 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; low or medium surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. These soils are susceptible to occasional flooding for brief periods between March and September and have a very highly transitory high water table between 80 to 100 cm in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Ripcon soils are used for recreation, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly an overstory of narrowleaf cottonwood, willow, birch and sedge. This pedon is correlated to Ecological Site F028AY079NV, narrowleaf cottonwood, willow, water birch and sedge community.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A and 28B.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 2009. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 84 cm (A1, A2, and ABk horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 84 to 127 cm (Bk1 horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (A2, ABk, and upper part of the Bk1 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS user Pedon ID: 08NV708014-CWL

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.