LOCATION RYEPATCH NV

Established Series
Rev. LNL-WGH-JVC-JBF
05/2016

RYEPATCH SERIES

The Ryepatch series consist of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks and influenced by diatomaceous earth and volcanic ash. Ryepatch soils are on low stream terraces and flood plains. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ryepatch clay--irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

Ap--0 to 25 cm; black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine, few fine, and common medium roots; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary.

A1--25 to 53 cm; black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots and few medium and coarse roots; 30 percent distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; few pressure cutans on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--53 to 63 cm; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay, dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots and common medium roots; few fine and medium pores; 1 percent fine distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist masses of iron accumulation; common pressure cutans on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary.

A3--63 to 99 cm; black (10YR 2/1) clay, black (N 2.5/0) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots and few medium roots; few fine and medium pores; 3 percent fine prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; common pressure cutans on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizons is 60 to 100 cm thick)

2C--99 to 107 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), black (10YR 2/1), and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) stratified silty clay loam and silt loam; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and very plastic; common fine roots; dark coats lining root channels and pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

2Ab1--107 to 124 cm; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots and few medium roots; many fine and common medium pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

3Ab2--124 to 137 cm; black (5Y 2/1) clay; moderate to strong medium subangular blocky and angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine roots; common fine and few medium pores; many fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; common pressure cutans on faces of peds; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

3C'1--137 to 142 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

4C'2--142 to 165 cm; olive gray (5Y 4/2) clay; weak to moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine to medium roots; few fine and medium pores; 1 percent fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; common pressure cutans on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Pershing County, Nevada; in the Lower Valley about 7.5 miles south-southwest of Lovelock and south of Peterson Road; approximately 2,350 feet west and 530 feet south of the northeast corner of section 3, T. 25 N, R. 31 E.; USGS Wildhorse Pass 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 03 minutes 52 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 28 minutes 43 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.0644444 latitude, -118.478611 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during the winter and early spring and dry from May through November; saturated from 100 to greater than 150 cm due to artificial drainage and channel down cutting; xeric moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 60 to 100 cm.
Linear extensibility (LE): 6 to 9 cm.
Other features: Before being brought under cultivation, these soils were saline-sodic. About half the acreage has been partially or completely reclaimed, the rest is slightly to strongly affected by salts and sodium.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 60 to 80 percent.

Ap and A horizons
Hue: 10YR through Neutral (N).
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 10 percent.
Salinity (EC): 0 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Other features: Hand textures often feel lower in clay due to the presence of diatomaceous material in the silt and clay fractions.

C horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y.
Texture: Clay or silty clay with occasional thin (less than 15 cm) strata of loam through silty clay loam.
Clay content: Average 60 to 80 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.
Salinity (EC): 0 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
Other features: Occasional small calcium carbonate concretions may occur in the lower part of the profile; Fresh water mollusk shells may be present in any layer in the profile; Minor amounts of gypsum are common.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hazelair and Zakme series.

Hazelar have a paralithic contact at 50 to 100 cm. Zakme soils have a paralithic contact at 100 to 150 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ryepatch soils are on low stream terraces and flood plains. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks and influenced by diatomaceous earth and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Elevations range from 1,190 to 1,220 meters. The climate is arid with cold, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 125 to 180 mm, the mean annual temperature is 10 to 11 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 120 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigmeadow, Humboldt, and Lovelock soils. All these soils have mollic epipedons and average between 35 and 60 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low surface runoff; slow permeability; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity. Artificial drainage and channel down cutting has irreversible altered the drainage from poorly to somewhat poorly drained.

USE AND VEGETATION: Ryepatch soils are used mainly for irrigated agriculture. The main crops are small grains and alfalfa. Large areas that previously had a saline-sodic condition were cropped to tall wheatgrass for both soil improvement and pasture for beef cattle. Areas free of salts and sodium are very productive. Most areas have been drained and reclaimed, and other large areas are partially drained and reclaimed. The native vegetation in uncultivated areas is black greasewood, inland saltgrass, and basin wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 8,500 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County (Lovelock Area), Nevada, 1963.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 99 cm (Ap, A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
The Vertic subgroup placement is based on the estimated linear extensibility (LE) as populated in the NASIS database.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (A1, A2, and A3 horizons and part of the 2C horizon).

The revision of July 2009 changed the classification from Cumulic Vertic Endoaquolls to Vertic Haploxerolls after evaluation of the present water table and irreversible drainage.
The revision of July 2007 moved the type location to another pedon within the Lovelock Area, Nevada and updated the taxonomic class from Very-fine, smectitic, calcareous, mesic Fluvaquentic Vertic Endoaquolls.

ADDITIONAL DATA: The typical pedon at the series type location has full characterization data by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number 56NV027007 (pedon # 40A3234). An additional pedon is soil survey sample number 61NV027003 (pedon # 40A3235). These are published is SSIR # 23 for Nevada on pages 180-183.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.