LOCATION RUBYLEE                 CA

Established Series
Rev: PBF/CAH/ET
12/2015

RUBYLEE SERIES

The Rubylee series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from granitoid and/or gneissic rocks. Rubylee soils are on fan remnants. Slope ranges from 1 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 100 millimeters (4 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 21.5 degrees C (71 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Rubylee fine sandy loam, on a linear, 2 percent slope under desert shrubs at an elevation of 453 meters (1,485 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 15 percent fine gravel, 50 percent medium and coarse gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 3 percent stones.

A -- 0 to 5 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; very few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine vesicular pores; 2 percent fine gravel and 1 percent medium and coarse gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 centimeters thick)

Bt -- 5 to 12 centimeters (2 to 5 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent, distinct, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay bridging between sand grains; 20 percent fine gravel, 12 percent medium and coarse gravel and 2 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear wavy boundary.

Btkq -- 12 to 45 centimeters (5 to 18 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) gravelly sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; very few very fine roots; very few fine interstitial pores; ; 5 percent faint, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay films on ped faces and 30 percent, distinct, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay bridging between sand grains; 10 percent prominent, white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coats on surfaces lining pores and 2 percent prominent, white (10YR 8/1), calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 3 percent prominent, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silica films on the bottom of rock fragments; 12 percent fine gravel, 6 percent medium and coarse gravel and 3 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 24 to 45 centimeters.)

Bkq -- 45 to 152 centimeters (18 to 60 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 10 percent prominent, white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 4 percent prominent, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silica films on the bottom of rock fragments; 15 percent fine gravel, 10 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7).

TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; about 16.6 kilometers (10.3 miles) northeast of the junction of Pintobasin and Old Dale Roads in Joshua Tree National Park; 225 meters (738 feet) east and 330 meters (1,082 feet) south of the NW corner of sec. 9, T. 3 S., R. 13 E., San Bernardino Base and Meridian; 33 degrees, 55 minutes and 34.4 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 37 minutes and 21.0 seconds west longitude, USGS Placer Canyon 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0627322e 3754831n (DTM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some parts for short
periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative
between July and September following summer convection storms. The soils have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 22 to 25 degrees C (72 to 77 degrees F).
Surface rock fragments: 20 to 78 percent; with 20 to 75 percent gravel, 0 to
10 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.

Control section -
Rock fragments: 1 to 30 percent; dominantly gravel.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Depth to the upper boundary of an argillic horizon: 5 to 25 centimeters (2 to 10 inches).

A horizon
Value: 5 to 7 dry, and 3 to 5, moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, and 2 to 6, moist.
Texture of the fine earth: fine sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam or
fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 1 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 3 to 60 percent gravel.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to violently effervescent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bw horizon (when present)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, and 3 or 4, moist.
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, and 4 to 6, moist.
Texture of the fine earth: fine sand or sandy loam.
Clay content: 3 to 12 percent.
Rock fragments: 1 to 10 percent gravel.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to violently effervescent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bt and Btkq horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 to 7 dry, and 4 or 5, moist.
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 1 to 35 percent; with 1 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 3
percent cobbles.
Effervescence: very slightly to violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Visible secondary carbonates: 0 to 15 percent as masses or coats on rock
fragments.
Silica: 0 to 10 percent as films on rock fragments.

Bkq horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 to 7, dry and 3 to 6, moist.
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry and 3 to 6, moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam.
Clay content: 3 to 16 percent.
Rock fragments: 1 to 50 percent; with 1 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 10
percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones.
Effervescence: very slightly to violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent.
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline.
Visible secondary carbonates: 0 to 25 percent as masses or coats on rock
fragments.
Silica: 0 to 15 percent as films on rock fragments and 0 to 20 percent moderately cemented durinodes.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rubylee soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 1 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from granitoid and/or gneissic rocks. Elevations range from 350 to 800 meters (1,150 to 2,625 feet). The climate is arid, with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 125 millimeters (3 to 5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 20 to 23 degrees C (68 to 73.5 degrees F). The frost-free season is 300 to 340 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Carrizo, Descent and Pintobasin soils. Carrizo soils are on alluvial fans, fan aprons and in drainageways, and Descent soils are on fan remnants. Both soils have sandy-skeletal particle-size control sections and do not have an argillic horizon. Pintobasin soils are on adjacent fan aprons, are sandy throughout and do not have a diagnostic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very low or low runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rubylee soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly creosote bush and burrobush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Riverside County, California, Soil Survey of Joshua Tree National Park, California, 2012. The name is from a historic well in the soil survey area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 5 centimeters (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 5 to 45 centimeters (Bt and Btkq
horizons).
Particle-size control section - from a depth or 5 to 45 centimeters (Bt and Btkq horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS Pedon User ID: 08CA794364.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2012. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.