LOCATION RELUCTAN                NV+OR

Established Series
Rev. TM/JBF
03/2016

RELUCTAN SERIES

The Reluctan series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Reluctan soils are on hills, plateaus, lava plains, and mountains. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Reluctan cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--5 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 28 cm thick)

Bt1--23 to 38 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)

Bt2--38 to 69 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 7 percent cobbles; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 64 cm thick)

R--69 cm; slightly weathered rhyolite.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; about 3 miles west of Midas; approximately 800 feet east and 1,200 feet south of the northwest corner of section 24, T. 39 N., R. 45 E; USGS Midas 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 14 minutes 47 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 51 minutes 06 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.2463889 latitude, -116.8516667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section in winter and spring, dry from July to October; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 43 cm; includes part of the argillic horizon in some pedons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a lithic contact.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is volcanic rocks such as rhyolite, basalt or welded tuff.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Bt horizons
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam, or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent.
Consistence: Very friable to firm, moist; slightly sticky or moderately sticky and slightly plastic or moderately plastic, wet.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline, usually increasing with depth.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Eboda, Say, Simon, and Toeja series.

Eboda soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Say soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts and have moderately coarse textured C horizons. Simon soils are very deep. Toeja soils are deep to paralithic contacts.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Reluctan soils are on hills, plateaus, lava plains, and mountains. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 1,310 to 2,440 meters. In Oregon elevation ranges to as low as 1,220 meters. At the lower elevations, these soils occur on north aspects. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 360 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cleavage, Graley, and Ninemile soils. Cleavage soils are shallow and loamy-skeletal. Graley soils are shallow and clayey-skeletal. Ninemile soils are shallow and clayey.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or high surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Reluctan soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, Sandberg's bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, basin wildrye, Thurber's needlegrass, and lanceleaf rabbitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Nevada and south-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 25, while other acreage occurs in MLRAs 23 and 24.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County (South Part), Nevada, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 23 to 69 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 69 cm to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 23 to 69 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Previous authors and editors include MJZ-DD-JVC.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.