LOCATION CROWNEST WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, frigid Lithic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Crownest sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grained; loose, many very fine roots; 10 percent sandstone channers; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
C--3 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) channery sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable; many very fine roots; about 30 percent fine sandstone channers; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
R--10 inches; reddish brown, hard, noncalcareous sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming; NW1/4, NW1/4 of sec. 14, T. 33 N., R. 99 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact is 10 to 20 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is about 42 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is about 59 to 66 degrees F. The control section matrix is sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Sandstone channers range from 0 to 35 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loamy sand, sandy loam, channery sandy loam, or channery loamy sand. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is commonly channery sandy loam but may be sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or channery fine sandy loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the Butche and Redcreek soils. Butche soils are mesic. The Redcreek soils are calcareous throughout.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Crownest soils are on uplands in cold intermountain basins and mountain foothills. Slopes are 2 to 45 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from underlying noncalcareous, hard sandstone. Elevation is 4,500 to 6,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches with over half falling during April, May, and June. The mean annual temperature is about 41 to 46 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is about 58 to 66 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lakoa and Regnaps soils. Lakoa soils have Bt horizons and lack bedrock above 20 inches. The Regnaps soils have Bt horizons and lack bedrock above 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, big sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, and fringed sagewort.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the cold intermountain basins and mountain foothills of Wyoming. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County, Lander Area, Wyoming; 1975.