LOCATION CLIFTERSON WY+CO MT UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Clifterson gravelly loam with a slope of 4 percent, native rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, 20 percent pebbles, the surface has a thin mantle of small pebbles; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Ck--4 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; 60 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated and in form of thin, discontinuous crusts on bottom side of some pebbles and cobbles; moderately alkaline. (many feet thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming; SEP SE1/4, sec. 6, T.2N., R.4E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are typically calcareous throughout but may be leached at the surface. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 46 to 52 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature ranges from 59 degrees to 68 degrees F. The particle-size control section is extremely or very gravelly loam or light clay loam with the matrix ranging in clay from 18 to 35 percent, in silt from 20 to 50 percent, and in sand from 20 to 55 percent with less than 35 percent being fine sand or coarser. Coarse fragments range from 30 to 70 percent pebbles and 5 to 10 percent cobbles and are typically semi-rounded to angular quartzitic fragments.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry and moist. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 4 to 12 percent and occurs as thin coatings and pedants on the underside of pebbles and cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Cliffdown,
Clowfin,
Defler,
Dient, and
Trocken series. Cliffdown soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have mean annual soil temperatures of 53 to 59 degrees F.
Clowfin soils have 2C horizons of extremely gravelly sand. Defler soils have Bk and Bqk horizons and 2C horizons of extremely gravelly coarse sand. Dient soils have mean annual soil temperatures of 54 to 59 degrees F. Trocken soils have Bk horizons and mean annual soil temperatures of 53 to 57 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Clifterson soils formed in thick gravelly alluvium of late Pleistocene epoch and occupy high old terrace levels 300 feet meters or more above present stream levels. Some areas are dissected by tributary channels contiguous to flood plains. Elevations range from 3,990 to 5,490 feet. Slopes are typically 2 to 10 percent but range up to 30 percent on the dissected landscapes. At the type location the mean annual temperature is 43 degrees F. but ranges from 43 degrees to 46 degrees F., mean summer temperature is 64 degrees to 68 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is 5 to 9 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer. Frost-free season is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Apron, Ethete, and Griffy soils. Apron soils occur on the same terraces, usually upslope from the Clifterson soils, and have more sand in the particle-size control section. Ethete and Griffy soils occur on more stable positions on the terrace and have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to somewhat excessively drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for domestic livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. At the type location vegetation is blue grama, threadleaf sedge, and big sage. Bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, and western wheatgrass were the native vegetative species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Basin areas of central and northern Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County (Riverton Irrigated Area), Wyoming, 1969.