LOCATION CAVEGULCH WY+UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplogypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Cavegulch loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, sticky and plastic; violently effervescent, calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick).
Bw--4 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
By1--11 to 22 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; violently effervescent, calcium carbonate disseminated; common medium cylindrical masses of gypsum following root channels, 30 percent gypsum; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary.
By2--22 to 36 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate disseminated; common medium seams and filaments of gypsum, 20 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the By horizon is 20 to 40 inches)
C--36 to 60 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Natrona County, Wyoming; about 9.5 miles north of Natrona; 2,000 feet north and 1,750 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 16, T. 37 N., R. 83 W. Anderson Draw quadrangle, 43 degrees 10 minutes 21 seconds north latitude and 106 degrees 48 minutes 56 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to continuous gypsum accumulation is 11 to 27 inches. The particle-size control section averages clay loam, silty clay loam, loam, or silt loam with 25 to 35 percent clay and less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. Organic carbon in the upper 40 centimeters averages 0.8 to 1.5 percent. Hue is 2.5Y through 7.5YR. The soil is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. EC is less than 2 mmhos.
The Bw, cambic horizon, has value of 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. EC ranges from 2 through 4 mmhos.
The By, gypsic horizon, has value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4. It averages 15 to 30 percent gypsum. EC ranges from 4 through 12 mmhos.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 1 through 4. It commonly is massive but has weak platy shale rock structure in some pedons. EC is greater than 8 mmhos.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cavegulch soils are on hillsides, alluvial fans, and gently rolling uplands. Slopes range from 2 to 10 percent. They formed in local alluvium and residuum derived from gypsiferous shale. Elevations are 5,000 to 5,900 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 45 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brokenhorn, Chipendale, and Chipenhill soils. Brokenhorn soils have a calcic horizon and do not have gypsum accumulations above a depth of 27 inches. Chipendale soils are fine and do not have a cambic horizon. Chipenhill soils are shallow and do not have a gypsic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly rhizomatous wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, Gardner saltbush, and birdfoot sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Wyoming. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Natrona County, Wyoming; 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 4 inches (A)
Cambic horizon - 4 to 11 inches (Bw)
Gypsic horizon - 11 to 36 inches (By1, By2)
SIR- WY0587
MLRR- G
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Lakewood MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.