LOCATION GREYS              ID+WY
Established Series
Rev. SDH/CBR
06/2010

GREYS SERIES


The Greys series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in loess and silty alluvium from loess. Greys soils are on hills, fan remnants, terraces, moraines, mountain slopes, and footslopes of mountains. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 530 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 2.5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive Alfic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Greys silt loam, quaking aspen, on a mountain slope with 8 percent slope at an elevation of 1,953 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 5 cm; slightly decomposed grass, leaves and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 cm thick)

A1--5 to 8 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very thin platy structure parting to moderate very fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary.

A2--8 to 18 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few fine manganese masses; tongues of albic material; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary.

A3--18 to 33 cm; 60 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 40 percent dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common very fine and medium tubular pores; few fine manganese masses; tongues of albic material; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 25 to 40 cm)

A/E--33 to 41 cm; 70 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 30 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; tongues of albic material; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

E--41 to 48 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 10 cm thick)

Bt1--48 to 71 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few fine manganese masses; common (40 percent) continuous distinct clay films on surfaces along pores and common (40 percent) continuous distinct clay films on vertical faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--71 to 102 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few (10 percent) clay films on surfaces along pores, many (60 percent) continuous distinct clay films on all faces of peds and few (10 percent) skeletans on vertical faces of peds; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt smooth boundary.

Bt3--102 to 147 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many (60 percent) continuous distinct clay films on surfaces along pores on all faces of peds; strongly effervescent; neutral (pH 6.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 35 to 99 cm)

Bk--147 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common (10 percent) threadlike masses of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1).

TYPE LOCATION: Teton County, Idaho; about 8.2 km northeast of Tetonia; 2455 meters south and 130 meters west of the northeast corner of section 12, T. 6 N., R. 45 E.; Clawson USGS topographic quadrangle; Lat. 43 degrees, 51 minutes, and 38.7 seconds N. and Long. 111 degrees, 4 minutes, 49.9 seconds W., NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 40 cm
Depth to argillic horizon: 40 to 60 cm
Depth to secondary carbonates: greater than 127 cm
Particle size control section total clay: weighted average 18 to 27 percent
Soil moisture regime: udic
Mean annual soil temperature: 3.3 to 7.2 degrees C. (cryic soil temperature regime)
Mean summer soil temperature: 5 to 8 degrees C and where an O horizon is absent 10.0 to 15.0 degrees C.

A, A/E or Ap horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y moist or dry
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist or dry
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

E horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR, moist or dry
Value: 2 to 6 moist, 4 to 7 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist or dry
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y moist or dry
Value: 3 to 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist or dry
Texture: SIL or SICL

Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Bk horizon (when present)
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR moist or dry
Value: 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist or dry
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no soil series in the family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: mountains and plateaus
Landform: hills, fan remnants, terraces, moraines, mountain slopes, and footslopes of mountains
Elevation: 1,676 to 2,248 meters
Slope: 0 to 30 percent
Parent material: loess and silty alluvium from loess
Mean annual air temperature: 2.2 to 6.1 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation: 406 to 813 mm
Frost free period: 30 to 70 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Liza and Dranyon soil series. Liza soils have a frigid soil temperature regime and occur on ridges and south-facing slopes. Dranyon soils have a fine-loamy particle size class and occur on convex slopes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: well
Runoff: high
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: moderately high

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: woodland, woodland pasture, and some cleared areas are cultivated with wheat and barley
Dominant native vegetation: aspen with an understory of pinegrass, wild rose, snowberry, timothy, and mountain brome

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Distribution: Southeastern Idaho, and Western Wyoming, MLRA 13 and 43B.
Extent: the series is moderately extensive

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: The Star Valley Soil Conservation District, Lincoln County, Wyoming, 1943.

REMARKS:

Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: from a depth of 5 to 41 cm
Albic horizon: from a depth of 41 to 48 cm
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 48 to 147 cm
Secondary carbonates: from a depth of 147 to 152 cm
Particle size control section: from a depth of 48 to 98 cm
Soil temperature regime: cryic
Soil moisture regime: udic
Depth to diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics in the Range of Chatacteristics are measured from the mineral soil surface.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Typical pedon was not sampled.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.