LOCATION CUSHOOL WY+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Ustic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Cushool sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few distinct clay films on faces of peds and inside root channels; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--7 to 19 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6). (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 9 to 23 inches.)
Btk--19 to 25 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few distinct clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate as common fine and medium soft masses and filaments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bk--25 to 34 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate as common fine and medium soft masses and thin filaments and threads; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary.
Cr--34 inches; soft, calcareous sandy shale interbedded with thin and moderately thick lenses of sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Carbon County, Wyoming; approximately 320 feet south and 318 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 12, T. 19N., R. 87 W. Smith Draw West, Wyo. Quadrangle. 41 degrees 38 minutes 32 seconds north latitude and 107 degrees 7 minutes 57 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature ranges: 41 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer temperature: 59 to 63 degrees F
Depth to calcic horizon: 11 to 34 inches
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches shale interbedded with sandstone
These soils are typically free of carbonates through the upper part of the Bt horizon.
Rock fragments range from 0 to 30 percent throughout the whole soil and are pebbles or channers.
Exchangeable sodium ranges from 0 to 15 percent throughout the argillic horizon and Bk horizons.
EC ranges from 0 to 4 mmhos throughout.
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6 dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6 dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam with 18 to 35 percent clay, 0 to 28 percent silt, and 45 to 80 percent sand with more than 35 percent being fine sand or coarser.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline
The Btk horizon when present is moderately or strongly alkaline.
Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6 dry or moist
Texture: loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
A thin C horizon is present in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: Current competitors are the Alogia, Antonito, Fluetsch, Fonce, Grubrob, Hickey, Rock River, Stunner, and Wycolo series.
Alogia, Fluetsch, Fonce, Hickey, Rock River, Stunner: do not have a paralithic or lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches deep.
Antonito, Grubrob: have a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches deep
Wycolo: have hue redder than 7.5YR and calcic horizons with greater than 18 percent clay
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and colluvium over residuum weathered from sandy shale and sandstone
Landform: rock-controlled hill and ridge slopes, fan aprons, pediments, and structural benches
Slopes: 0 to 50 percent
Elevations: 5,300 to 7,800 feet
Mean annual precipitation: about 12 inches but ranges from 9 to 14 inches of which about half falls as snow and rain in April, May, and early June
Mean annual temperature: about 41 degrees F. and ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free season: 75 to 110 days depending upon elevation, aspect, and air drainage.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bosler and Cragosen soils and the competing Forelle, Rock River, and Satanka soils. The Bosler soils have a fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal control section and occur on ridge summits and lower fan aprons. The Cragosen soils are shallow and skeletal and occur near ridge or hill crests.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to high runoff depending upon slope; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation consists of thickspike wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, needleandthread, big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and green needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Wyoming and northwestern Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 34. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County (Eastern Part), Wyoming; 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--0 to 4 inches (A)
Argillic horizon--4 to 25 inches (Bt1,Bt2,Btk)
Calcic horizon:--25 to 34 inches (Bk)
Paralithic contact--34 inches (Cr)
Classification was changed from Ustic Haplargids to superactive, Ustic Calciargids 5/1999.
Pedons previously identified as Cushool that have Bk horizons with greater than 18 percent clay (sandy clay loam) and less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent are now considered as closely similar soils.
Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.