Climate is cool and semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. These are the McCleary soils. These soils lack vertical cracks and gilgai. May. The surface is ponded with water for a short period during the same months in most years. Livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat.
Vegetation is mainly mat muhly silver sage brush, bluegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail.
Piline soils are of moderate extent. Elko County, Nevada, 1986. Classification was changed from Aquic Chromoxererts to Xeric Epiaquerts in 1993. When dry vertical cracks 1 centimeter or more wide extend to a depth of more than 40 inches. Gilgai are 2 to 10 centimeters in height.