LOCATION BIRDSLEY WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic, shallow Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Birdsley clay loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine granular; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and very fine roots; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.1); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
C--4 to 14 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and very fine roots; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.5); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)
Cr--14 to 60 inches; calcareous, sodic shale and interbedded sandstone. Fragments slake in water but do not crush easily.
TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming; 1,840 feet west and 300 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 28, T. 2 N., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to sodic shale or sandstone ranges from 6 to 20 inches. Exchangeable sodium percentage typically ranges from 15 to 30 percent throughout, but the surface one or two inches may in some pedons range from 10 to 15 percent. The particle size control section is typically clay loam, loam, or sandy clay loam with 18 to 35 percent clay, 15 to 50 percent silt, and 20 to 60 percent sand. Fragments of sandstone or shale range from 0 to 15 percent but break down with pretreatment. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 52 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature ranges from 59 to 63 degrees F.
The A horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It ranges from strongly alkaline to very strongly alkaline. EC is typically less than 4 mmhos but may range to 8 mmhos.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is very strongly alkaline unless buffered by gypsiferous material. Visible accumulations of carbonates occur randomly in some pedons but, typically, carbonates are disseminated. EC is typically less than 4 mmhos.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Celeton, Goldyke, Oceanet, Persayo, Roic, Shalet, and Slatery series. The Celeton, Goldyke, Oceanet, Persayo, Shalet, and Slatery soils contain less than 15 percent exchangeable sodium. Roic soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These gently sloping to moderately sloping soils occur on hillslopes and ridge positions of rock-controlled uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent. The soils formed in slopewash alluvium and residual material weathered from interbedded sodic shale and sandstone. Elevation ranges from 4,300 to 6,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 7 to 9 inches of which over half falls as snow and rain in April, May, and June. The mean annual temperature ranges from 43 to 46 degrees F. The frost-free season is estimated to range from 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mudray and competing Oceanet and Persayo soils. Mudray soils have natric Btn horizons and occur on more stable footslope and toeslope positions. Oceanet and Persayo soils occur above interbedded shale and sandstone beds which lack the strong sodic influence.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Birdsley soils support only a sparse stand of birdfoot sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, and bud sagebrush. It affords limited grazing and is utilized as rangeland and wildlife habitat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The basin areas of western Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County, Wyoming; 1969.