LOCATION CONTIDE WYTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Typic Palecryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Contide loam - forest (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed organic material principally leaves, twigs, and grasses.
Oe--2 to 4 inches; moderately decomposed organic material like that of the above horizon.
A--4 to 6 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly plastic, slightly sticky; noncalcareous; neutral, pH 6.6 (bromthymol blue); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
E--6 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse platy structure that parts to moderate coarse granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly plastic, slightly sticky; noncalcareous; neutral, pH 6.8 (bromthymol blue); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
E/B--16 to 32 inches; mixed colors including light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist and olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable; slightly plastic, slightly sticky; thin glossy patches on the more clayey aggregates; this horizon consists of clayey material like that of the underlying horizon embedded in a light colored matrix like that of the overlying horizon; noncalcareous; neutral, pH 6.8 (bromthymol blue); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Bt1--32 to 48 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silty clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm; moderately plastic, moderately sticky; thin continuous wax-like coatings on ped faces and wax-like coatings and fillings in root channels; wax-like rims around the entrance to soil pores; noncalcareous; slightly alkaline, pH 7.4 (phenol red); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 24 inches thick)
Bt2--48 to 56 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silty clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm; moderately plastic, moderately sticky; thin wax-like patches on ped faces and discontinuous wax-like coatings on the inside of root channels and pores; calcareous; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 (cresol red); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bk--56 to 64 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, moderately plastic, moderately sticky; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as concretions and in thin seams and streaks; calcareous; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2 (cresol red).
TYPE LOCATION: Carbon County, Wyoming. The NW1/4 of the SW1/4 of Sec. 11, T.18N., R.99W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depths are measured from the top of the mineral soil surface.
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer. Typic udic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: about 41 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature: about 56 degrees F
Depth to albic horizon: 2 to 4 inches
Depth to the top of the argillic horizon: greater than 24 inches
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 30 to 60 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 27 to 60 inches
Depth to glossic horizon: 4 to 24 inches
Base saturation: 60 to 100 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 4 to 14 percent
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Sand content: 10 to 45 percent less than 15 percent being fine or coarser sand
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel or cobble
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry or moist
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6 dry or moist
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
Bt horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no current competitors in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy slope alluvium over clayey slope alluvium derived from sedimentary rocks
Landform: gently to steeply sloping alluvial fans or valley sideslopes
Slopes: 2 to 40 percent slopes
Elevation:
Mean annual precipitation: about 18 inches at the type location with peak periods of precipitation occurring in the spring and early summer months
Mean annual air temperature: about 36 degrees F.
Mean summer air temperature: about 56 degrees F.
Frost-free period:
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Asperson and Hub series. The Asperson series differs in having bedrock above 40 inches and in having thinner solums. The Hub series differs in having a moderately thick dark colored A1 horizon and in having thinner solums with the top of the B2t horizon above 24 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to moderately well drained. Runoff is slow to rapid. Permeability is moderate to slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as native pastureland, recreation, and forestry. Native vegetation includes aspen and conifers with a fair understory of brush and grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Present known distribution limited to central Wyoming. The series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Sage Creek Watershed area, 1971. Series name is a coined name.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 32 to 52 inches. (Bt2 and Bt3 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 4 to 16 inches. (A and E horizons)
Albic horizon: The zone from 4 to 16 inches. (E horizon)
Glossic horizon: The zone from 16 to 32 inches. (E/B horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 32 to 56 inches. Bt horizons)
A paper revision and update of the series was made by MO6 August, 2000. The classification was changed from Typic Cryoboralfs to Typic Palecryalfs. Format and horizonation designations were updated. It was stated in the 1971 description that the argillic horizon started below 24 inches, hence the current Palecryalf classification. However, if the mixed clay content of the E/B horizon is later determined to meet the minimum required clay increase for an argillic horizon, then the top of the argillic horizon would be the top of the E/B horizon. If the argillic starts at the E/B then the particle-size class would probably be fine-loamy and mixed instead of fine and smectitic. The series has not been updated by the state since 1971.
Taxonomic Version: Second Edition of Soil Taxonomy 1999.