LOCATION COVEY WY
Tentative Series
DJP/CBR
05/2020
COVEY SERIES
The Covey series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium and slope alluvium derived from sedimentary rock and calcareous conglomerate. These soils are on alluvial fans and fan remnants. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 4.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Covey loam in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 5 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 cm thick)
Bt--5 to 21 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular pores; 5 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 22 cm thick)
Btk--21 to 57 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular pores; 20 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 10 percent fine carbonate masses in matrix; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (32 to 38 cm thick)
Bk--57 to 97 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine dendritic tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; 30 percent carbonate concretions on bottom surfaces of rock fragments and 10 percent fine carbonate masses in matrix; violenlty effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (36 to 42 cm thick)
C--97 to 200 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine interstitial pores; finely disseminated carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Wyoming; USGS Sage, WY topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 50 minutes 33.10 seconds north latitude and 110 degrees 58 minutes 26.24 seconds west longitude, datum WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3.0 to 7.0 degrees C
Depth to argillic--4 to 8 cm
Depth to calcic--19 to 68 cm
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Clay content--20 to 34 percent
Total rock fragments--0 to 5 percent
A horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma--2 to 4
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content--10 to 26 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 8.0
Bt horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--4 to 6
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, clay loam
Clay content--20 to 34 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction--pH 7.6 to 8.0
Btk horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--4 to 6
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, clay loam
Clay content--23 to 34 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 5 percent gravels
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 25 percent
Reaction--pH 8.0 to 8.6
Bk horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--4 to 6
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, clay loam
Clay content--25 to 32 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent--15 to 25 percent
Reaction--pH 8.2 to 8.6
C horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--4 to 6
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam
Clay content--20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 15 percent
Reaction--pH 7.8 to 8.6
COMPETING SERIES:
Cokeville (ID)-- soils are deep to paralithic contact
Elihill (WY)-- soils have greater than 5 percent rock fragments throughout
Slan (ID)-- soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--alluvial fans and fan remnants
Elevation--1,890 to 2,030 meters
Slope--1 to 8 percent
Parent material--slope alluvium and alluvium derived from sedimentary rock and calcareous conglomerate
Climate--long, cold winters; cool moist springs; short, warm summers
Mean annual precipitation--225 to 350 mm
Mean annual air temperature--2.0 to 6.0 degrees C
Frost-free period--40 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; 1.5 to 15 um/sec
USE AND VEGETATION: Covey soils are primarily used for grazing. The potential native vegetation is basin big sagebrush, Wyoming big sagebrush, needle and thread, and thickspike wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Covey soils are of small extent in southwestern Wyoming; MLRA 13.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Lincoln County, Wyoming, 2020. Covey series is derived from the USGS Beckwith, WY topographic quadrangle.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--0 to 5 cm (A horizon)
Argillic horizon--5 to 57 cm (Bt and Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon--57 to 97 cm (Bk horizon)
Particle-size control section--5 to 55 cm
Covey soils have a frigid temperature regime and a xeric moisture regime.
Taxonomic version: Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.