LOCATION RITO                    NV

Established Series
Rev. WMA/ELS/JBF
10/2019

RITO SERIES

The Rito consists of very deep, well drained soils in mixed alluvium derived from limestone, dolomite, shales, and siliceous conglomerate. Rito soils are on alluvial fans and valley bottoms. Slopes are 4 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual soil temperature is about 7 degrees C.

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

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

A--0 to 25 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial, few fine and very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

Bw--25 to 76 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial, few fine and very fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel; neutral (p8 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (50 to 75 cm thick)

Bk--76 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial, few fine and very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; 60 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; 1,800 feet north and 1,550 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 15, T. 23 N., R. 54 E.; USGS Christina Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 52 minutes 24 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 52 minutes 15 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.8733333 latitude, -115.8708333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and early spring; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 16 to 17 degrees C.
Depth to secondary carbonates: 66 to 100 cm.
Mollic epipedon: 23 to 36 cm thick and includes the upper part of the Bw horizon in some pedons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 50 percent gravel, but some subhorizons can have less than 35 percent gravel.

A horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Weak platy or moderate granular.

Bw horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Loam or clay loam.
Modifiers: Gravelly or very gravelly.
Structure: Weak to strong, fine or medium blocky or subangular blocky.

Bk horizon
Clay content: Average 5 to 20 percent.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy loam or extremely gravelly sandy loam.
Rock fragments: Average with 50 to 75 percent gravel and some cobbles. Effervescence: strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brietenbach, Darlington, Linrose and Pandoah series.

Brietenbach series have silica pendants. Darlington soils have 2Bk horizons with loamy sand or sand modified by gravel. Linrose and Pandoah soils are moderately deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rito soils are on alluvial fans and valley bottoms at elevations of 1,750 to 2,080 meters. Slopes are 4 to 8 percent. They formed in mixed alluvium derived from limestone, dolomite, shales, and siliceous conglomerate. The climate is cool, continental. Mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm. The mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free season averages about 50 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Credo and Kobeh soils. Both soils lack mollic epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium or slow runoff; moderate permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is dominantly big sagebrush, with scattered juniper and some Douglas rabbitbrush and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are inextensive with about 2,500 acres. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County (Diamond Valley Area), Nevada, 1971.

REMARKS: Rito soils were formerly classified as Brown soils.
Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 25 cm (A horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 25 to 76 cm (Bw horizon).
Secondary carbonates - The zone from 76 to 152 cm (Bk horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bw and part of the Bk horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.