LOCATION BILLIESDRAW WY
Tentative Series
Rev. DMM-RJS
03/2015
BILLIESDRAW SERIES
The Billiesdraw series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from metamorphic and sedimentary rock. These soils are on outwash terraces and fan remnants. Slopes are 1 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 350 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 2.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Petrocalcic Paleustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Billiesdraw loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 9 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3), loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2), moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, and common fine and medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 cm thick)
Bt--9 to 26 cm; brown (10YR 4/3), clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3), moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, and common fine and medium roots; many fine tubular pores; 20 percent continuous prominent clay films on all faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)
Btk--26 to 37 cm; brown (10YR 5/3), clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, and common medium roots; many fine tubular pores; 10 percent patchy distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 20 percent irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)
Bkk1--37 to 51 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2), gravelly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3), moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 100 percent carbonate masses in matrix; 15 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 20 cm thick)
Bkk2--51 to 71 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3), very gravelly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3), moist; massive; hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 100 percent carbonate masses in matrix; 20 percent strongly cemented carbonate nodules (gravel size); 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)
Bkkm--71 to 86 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2), indurated calcium- carbonate cemented material, very pale brown (10YR 7/3), moist; violently effervescent moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)
BCk1--86 to 125 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2), very gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3), moist; massive; hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 80 percent carbonate masses in matrix; 10 percent strongly cemented carbonate nodules (gravel size); 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 50 cm thick)
BCk2--125 to 200 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4), extremely gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4), moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine interstitial pores; 5 percent strongly cemented carbonate nodules on bottom of rock fragments; 45 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Sublette County, Wyoming; USGS Budd Reservoir, Wyoming topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees 43 minutes 26.00 seconds north latitude and 110 degrees 14 minutes 55.00 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 3.0 to 5.0 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 30 cm
Depth to argillic horizon - 6 to 15 cm
Depth to calcic horizon - 20 to 45 cm
Depth to petrocalcic horizon - 50 to 100 cm
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Clay content: 14 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent--0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 2 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.3
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 to 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 22 to 32 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent--0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 7.2 to 7.6
Btk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 5 dry; 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 22 to 32 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent--5 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.4
Bkk1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 7 or 8; dry or moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent--10 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
Bkk2 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 7 or 8 dry; 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, loam
Clay content: 8 to 14 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--15 to 25 percent carbonate nodules (gravel size), 15 to 40 percent gravel, 2 to 10 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 55 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
Bkkm horizon
Resistance: strongly cemented to indurated
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 8.0 to 8.4
BCk1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 7 or 8 dry; 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Clay content: 7 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 70 percent--5 to 15 percent carbonate nodules (gravel size), 25 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
BCk2 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6; dry or moist
Clay content: 2 to 7 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 70 percent--35 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - outwash terraces, fan remnants
Elevation - 2,250 to 2,530 meters
Slope - 1 to 6 percent.
Parent material - alluvium derived metamorphic and sedimentary rock
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, cool summers
Mean annual precipitation - 225 to 400 mm with peak periods of precipitation occurring during the spring
Mean annual air temperature - 1.0 to 3.5 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 50 to 75 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Billiesdraw soils are primarily used for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is early sagebrush, mock goldenweed, indian ricegrass, Letterman's needlegrass, and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Billiesdraw soils are of small extent in southwestern Wyoming. MLRA - 34A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES PROPOSED: Sublette County, Wyoming, 2012. The series name is derived from a local landmark.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 26 cm (A, Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon - 9 to 37 cm (Bt, Btk horizons)
Calcic horizons - 26 to 71 cm (Btk, Bkk1, Bkk2) and 86 to 200 cm (BCk1, BCk2 horizons)
Petrocalcic horizon - 71 to 86 cm (Bkm horizon)
Particle-size control section - 9 to 37 cm (Bt, Btk horizons)
Billiesdraw soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.