LOCATION RUBICITY                NV

Established Series
Rev. PWB/RLB/JBF
10/2019

RUBICITY SERIES

The Rubicity series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from pegmatitic granite. The Rubicity soils are on alluvial fans. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5.6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Cumulic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Rubicity gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 30 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 8 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10cm thick)

A2--8 to 50 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (25 to 43 cm thick)

A3--50 to 69 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine, few fine and medium tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

A4--69 to 107 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine, few fine and coarse interstitial and tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 50 cm thick)

C--107 to 152 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine, few fine and coarse interstitial and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 6 miles southwest of Arthur, Nevada; approximately 1500 feet north and 2500 feet east of the southwest corner of section 30, T. 33 N., R. 60 E.; USGS Ruby City Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees,42 minutes 31 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 14 minutes 47 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.7086111 latitude, -115.2463889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist, moist in winter and spring, dry in late summer and fall; xeric soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 6.7 to 8.3 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 76 to 114 cm, with irregular organic carbon distribution.
Profile reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments - Averages 15 to 35 percent gravel, dominantly 2 to 5 mm.

A horizon (lower part)
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid to neutral.

C horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Texture: Sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 25 percent gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bigwash, Freels, Mooretown and Toefoot series.

Bigwash soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Freels soils have Bw horizons and have a fluctuating water table at 90 to 150 cm. Mooretown soils are somewhat poorly drained, contain less than 15 percent rock fragments and has a Bk horizon. Toefoot soils have Bw and Bk horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rubicity soils are on alluvial fans. These soils formed in alluvium from pegmatitic granite. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. Elevations are 1,865 to 2,135 meters. The climate is cool semiarid with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 360 mm; Mean annual temperature is 5 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 90 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Heechee and McIvey series. Heechee soils have an argillic horizon and loamy-skeletal particle size control section. McIvey soils have argillic horizons and a clayey-skeletal particle size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, Antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Nevada. MLRA 25. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Elko County, Nevada, Southeast Part. 1992. The name is coined from a nearby place name.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 107 cm (A1, A2, A3 and A4 horizons).
Cumulic Features - Depth of organic carbon (A1, A2, A3 and A4 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (The A3 and parts of the A2 and A4 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.