LOCATION CHAPERTON WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Ustic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Chaperton clay loam - grassland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) light clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline, (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) light clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline,(pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)
Bk--15 to 29 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) light clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few medium and coarse roots; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; carbonates disseminated and occurring as coatings on gravel fragments; moderately alkaline ( pH 8.4); diffuse wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
Cr--29 to 60 inches; Calcareous, soft shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Carbon County, Wyoming; 2150 feet south and 1980 feet west of the northeast corner of Sec. 11, T18N, R88W. 41 degrees 33 minutes 4 seconds north latitude and 107 degrees 16 minutes 34 seconds west longitude. La marsh Creek West quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 59 to 64 degrees F.
Depth to accumulations of secondary calcium carbonate: 10 to 20 inches
Depth to the paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches to weathered shale
Particle-size control section: 0 to 15 percent rock fragments that are dominantly gravel and cobble in size.
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma: 1 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: clay loam or loam
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6 dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam averaging 18 to 35 percent clay, 20 to 50 percent silt, and 20 to 50 percent sand with less than 35 percent fine sand or coarser.
Reaction: slightly through strongly alkaline
Bk and or C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam averaging from 18 to 35 percent clay and less than 35 percent fine or coarser sand
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 4 to 14 percent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline..
COMPETING SERIES: The only current competitor is the
Yamo series.
Yamo soils do not have a lithic or paralithic contact within 60 inches of the surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium over residuum derived from shale
Landform: rolling hills, hillslopes and cuesta dipslopes
Slopes: 2 percent to about 40 or more percent
Elevation: 5,600 to 7,800 feet
Mean annual precipitation: 10 to 15 inches with peak periods of precipitation occurring in the spring and early summer
Mean annual air temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F
Frost-free period: 75 to 110 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Delphill, Forelle and Poposhia soils. The Delphill soils do not have a cambic horizon. The Forelle and the Poposhia soils are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium to high. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: They are used principally as wildlife habitat and livestock grazing. Native vegetation includes big sagebrush, sandberg bluegrass, thickspike wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Present known distribution limited to southern Wyoming. LRR D, MLRA 34. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Albany County (Albany County Area) Wyoming, 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and properties recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--0 to 3 inches (A)
Cambic horizon--3 to 15 inches (Bw)
Paralithic contact--at 29 inches (Cr)
Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.