LOCATION RUBYHILL                NV

Established Series
Rev WMA/RAF/GJS/JBF
11/2016

RUBYHILL SERIES

The Rubyhill series consists of well drained soils that are moderately deep to a strongly cemented duripan. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Rubyhill soils are on fan piedmonts. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Xereptic Haplodurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Rubyhill fine sandy loam-rangeland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 10 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, and common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Bw1--10 to 33 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many medium and few fine and very fine and very fine roots; few fine and common very fine pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 33 cm thick)

Bw2--33 to 53 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, fine and very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

Bqkm1--53 to 79 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very pale brown (10YR 8/2) coated, strongly cemented duripan, brown (10YR 5/3) with coats of light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; weak thick platy structure; very hard, very firm; few fine and very fine roots oriented horizontally, many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 66 cm thick)

Bqkm2--79 to 107 cm; variegated very pale brown (10YR 8/2) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) strongly cemented duripan, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm; many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 cm)

Bqkm3--107 to 127 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) strongly cemented duripan, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm; gravel is silica coated and silica-bridged between sand grains; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; approximately 17 miles northwest of Eureka in Kobeh Valley; about 2,100 feet east and 1,100 feet north of the southwest corner of section 6, T. 21 N., R. 52 E.; USGS West of Whistler Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 42 minutes 56 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 10 minutes 08 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.7100000 latitude, -116.1688889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry mid-June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to base of the Bw horizon: 50 to 76 cm.
Depth to duripan: 50 to 76 cm.
Other features - Some pedons have a thin weak Bk horizon.

Particle-size control section - Clay: 20 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure: Platy or granular.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Bw horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Loam, light clay loam or gravelly loam.
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent gravel.
Structure: Blocky or it is massive.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Bqkm horizon
Structure: Platy or it is massive.
Consistence: Very firm or extremely firm.
Other features: Several to many indurated discontinuous laminae.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at the present time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rubyhill soils are on fan piedmonts. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations are 1,740 to 2,170. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bartine, Kobeh, Overland, and Umil soils. Bartine, Kobeh and Overland soils lack a duripan, also Bartine and Overland have bedrock at a depth of 50 to 100 cm. Umil soils have an indurated duripan within a depth of 50 cm.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat, but some small areas are included in cultivated fields. Vegetation is principally big sagebrush and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

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

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 18 cm (A and part of Bw1 horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from about 10 to 53 cm (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).
Strongly cemented duripan - The zone from about 53 to 79 cm (Bqkm1 horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to about 53 cm (Bw2 and a portion of the Bw1 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.