The climate semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches, the mean annual temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 130 days. These are the Duco , Loomis , Nosrac , Surgem , and Zephan soils. Duco soils are loamy-skeletal, shallow to lithic contacts, and have mollic epipedons and argillic horizons. Loomis soils are clayey-skeletal, very shallow and shallow to lithic contacts, and have argillic horizons.
Nosrac soils are loamy-skeletal, very deep, and have mollic epipedons and argillic horizons.
Surgem and Zephan soils are clayey-skeletal, moderately deep to bedrock, and have argillic horizons. Olac soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, and desert needlegrass. These soils are moderately extensive. Douglas County Area, Nevada, 1981.