LOCATION CHUGCREEK          WY
Established Series
Rev. RLR/MS/SSP
05/1999

CHUGCREEK SERIES


The Chugcreek series consists of well drained soils that are moderately deep to hard igneous bedrock. They formed in slope alluvium and colluvium from granite and gneiss. Chugcreek soils are on gently sloping to steep foothills and mountain slopes. Slopes range from 1 to 40 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Chugcreek sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated.) The surface is covered with about 10 percent granitic pebbles.

A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium roots and pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)

Bt1--4 to 19 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) sandy clay loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots and pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 16 inches thick).

Bt2--19 to 29 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium roots and pores; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

BC--29 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; noneffervescent; 20 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

R--38 inches; granite.

TYPE LOCATION: Albany County, Wyoming; 2,100 feet north and 200 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 11, T. 18 N., R. 71 W. Goat Mountain Wyo. Quadrangle, 41 degrees 32 minutes 47 seconds north latitude and 105 degrees 19 minutes 32 seconds west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

0 to 10 percent of the surface is covered with granitic pebbles
Depth to the lithic contact: commonly 25 to 38 inches but ranges from 20 to 40 inches to granite
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 16 to 34 inches
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 19 to 34 inches

A horizon:
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture: commonly sandy loam but the range includes fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

Bt horizon:
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6 dry or moist
Texture: commonly sandy clay loam, but the range includes light clay loam and heavy sandy loam with 18 to 35 percent clay and 35 to 55 percent fine or coarser sand
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

BC horizon (or C horizon when present):
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: commonly sandy loam, but the range includes gravelly sandy loam, gravelly sandy clay loam, and gravelly clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent pebbles
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bowbells, Brycan, Carfall, Center Creek, Detra, Fiesta, Flaxton, Hereford, Hesperus, Laceycreek, Ohwiler, Pachel, Peta, Schauson, Todacheene, Trag, and Weed series.

Bowbells, Brycan, Hereford, Hesperus, Carfall, Center Creek, Fiesta, Flaxton, Laceycreek, Ohwiler, Pachel, Peta, Schauson , Todacheene, Trag, and Weed: do not have a lithic or paralithic contact within 60 inches of the surface
Detra: have a lithic contact between 40 and 60 inches deep

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and colluvium from granite and gneiss
Landform: mountain and foothill slopes
Elevation: 6,000 to 7,800 feet
Slopes: 1 to 40 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 15 to 19 inches
Mean annual temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free season: 85 to 110 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonjea, Boyle, and Lininger soils. Bonjea and Boyle soils are shallow. Lininger soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and three-tip sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Wyoming. LRR E. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Albany County Area, Wyoming; 1991.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - 0 to 19 inches (A, Bt1,);

Argillic horizon - 4 to 29 inches (Bt1, Bt2,);

Lithic contact - 38 inches (R).

Classification was changed from Pachic Argiborolls to superactive, frigid Pachic Argiustolls 2/1999.

Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.