LOCATION RYEPATCH NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, calcareous, mesic Cumulic Vertic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ryepatch clay--irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
Ap--0 to 25 centimeters; 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. (15 to 25 centimeters thick)
A1--25 to 53 centimeters; 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 centimeters; 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 centimeters; 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; 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. (cumulative thickness of the A horizons is 60 to 100 centimeters thick)
2C--99 to 107 centimeters; 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.
2Ab1--107 to 124 centimeters; 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; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary.
3Ab2--124 to 137 centimeters; black (5Y 2/1) clay; moderate to strong medium subangular blocky and angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few and 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.
3C'1--137 to 142 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt irregular boundary.
4C'2--142 to 165 centimeters; 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 12 kilometers south-southwest of Lovelock and south of Peterson Road; approximately 719 meters west and 162 meters south of the northeast corner of section 3, T. 25 N, R. 31 E.; USGS Wildhorse Pass 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 04 minutes 12 seconds north latitude and 118 degrees 29 minutes 06 seconds west longitude, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually saturated for one month or more during most years unless drained; Seasonal periods of aquic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 11.5 to 14 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 60 to 100 centimeters.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 60 to 80 percent.
Linear extensibility (LE) - 6 to 9 centimeters.
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.
Ap and A horizons
Hue: 10YR through Neutral (N).
Texture: Silt loam, silty clay loam, clay or silty clay; hand textures often feel lower in clay due to the presence of diatomaceous material in the silt and clay fractions.
Clay content: 15 to 80 percent.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 10 percent.
C horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y.
Texture: Clay or silty clay with occasional thin (less than 15 cm) strata of loam to silty clay loam.
Clay content: 60 to 80 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.
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: There are currently no other series in this family.
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. Recent eolian deposits form hummocks from 25 to 75 centimeters high in poorly vegetated, nonirrigated areas. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Elevations range from 1,189 to 1,219 meters. The climate is arid with cold, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 127 to 178 millimeters, 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: Poorly drained; low surface runoff; slow permeability (moderately low or moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity); Artificial drainage has been provided for most cultivated areas and they have been reclaimed of salts and sodium by leaching.
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 OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
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 centimeters (Ap, A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Aquic conditions - The conditions of endosaturation, reduction, and redoximorphic features between 25 and 165 centimeters at certain times during normal years (parts of the A1, A2, A3, 2C, 2Ab1, 3Ab2, 3C'1, and 4C'2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 centimeters (A1, A2, and A3 horizons and part of the 2C horizon).
The Vertic subgroup placement is based on the estimated linear extensibility (LE) as populated in the NASIS database.
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.