LOCATION BRIDGERTON              WY

Tentative Series
Rev. TAG-DMM-RJS
04/2011

BRIDGERTON SERIES


The Bridgerton series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from metamorphic and sedimentary rock over residuum weathered from shale. These soils are on escarpments, hills and landslides. Slopes are 15 to 65 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 530 mm and annual air temperature is about 1 degree C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Vertic Haplocryalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Bridgerton silty clay loam, in forest land (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

Oi--0 to 4 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 cm thick)

E--4 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; hard, very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse roots; many fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 12 cm thick)

BE--10 to 20 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; hard, very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Btk--20 to 74 cm; gray (2.5Y 6/1) silty clay, gray (2.5Y 5/1) moist; 15 percent medium prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, extremely firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 60 percent continuous distinct clay films on all faces of peds; finely disseminated secondary calcium carbonate in matrix; strongly; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (30 to 60 cm thick)

BCk1--74 to 120 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 20 percent medium prominent gray (10YR 6/1) mottles; massive; hard, very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; finely disseminated secondary calcium carbonate in matrix; 5 percent parachanners; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (35 to 60 cm thick)

BCk2--120 to 200 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) parachannery silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 25 percent coarse prominent gray (10YR 6/1) mottles; massive; hard, very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; many fine interstitial pores; finely disseminated secondary calcium carbonate in matrix; 15 percent parachanners; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Sublette County, Wyoming; located approximately 915 feet north and 1,320 feet east of the SW corner of Sec. 22, T. 36N, R. 113W; USGS Kismet Peak, Wyoming topographic quadrangle; 43 degrees 4 minutes 16.00 seconds north latitude and 110 degrees 19 minutes 39.00 seconds west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 1.5 to 3.5 degrees C.
Ochric epipedon thickness - 5 to 12 cm
Depth to top of argillic horizon - 15 to 25 cm
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - 15 to 25 cm

E horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent--0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.0

BE horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent--0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.0

Btk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3; dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam, clay, silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4

BCk1, BCk2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6; dry or moist
Texture: clay, silty clay, silty clay loam
Clay content: 30 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent parachanners
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4

COMPETING SERIES:
Doolittle (MT) - is moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Goldhill (ID) - have a xeric moisture regime
Harkness (ID) - do not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Herd (UT) - do not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Riflepit (SD) - have a paralithic contact at depths of less than 200 cm

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - escarpments, hills, landslides
Elevation - 2225 to 2530 meters
Slope - 15 to 65 percent
Parent Material - colluvium derived from metamorphic and sedimentary rock over residuum weathered from shale
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, cool summers
Mean annual precipitation - 500 to 760 mm with peak periods of precipitation occurring during the spring
Mean annual air temperature - 0.5 to 2.5 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 15 to 40 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bridgerton soils are primarily used for forest land. The potential native vegetation is mainly subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, elk sedge, pinegrass, and other miscellaneous forbs and shrubs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bridgerton soils are of small extent in southwestern Wyoming. MLRA - 43B.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.

SERIES PROPOSED: Sublette County, Wyoming, 2011. The series name is derived from a local area landmark.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 10 cm (Oi, E horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 20 to 74 cm (Btk horizon)
Horizons with secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - from 20 to 200 cm (Btk, BCk1, BCk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 20 to 70 cm (part of Btk horizon)

Bridgerton soils have a cryic temperature regime and an udic moisture regime.

Taxonomic version: Eleventh Edition, 2010.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.