LOCATION CUTBACK WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Ustic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Cutback fine sandy loam, on a convex east-facing slope of 2 percent, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 1 inch; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Bt--1 to 7 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 inches thick)
Btk--7 to 17 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; violently effervescent; calcium carbonate disseminated and as few distinct seams and soft masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2Bk1--17 to 25 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; 80 percent gravel, most of which are fragments of tuff; violently effervescent, calcium carbonate as common prominent seams and soft masses; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 22 inches thick)
2Bk2--25 to 31 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; about 50 percent gravel, most of which are fragments of tuff; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate as few medium and fine seams and soft masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary.
2Cr--31 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) soft, calcareous, tuffaceous sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Albany County, Wyoming; 100 feet north, 1,200 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 12, T24N, R75W. Boot Heel South East Quadrangle Wyo. 42 degrees 3 minutes 38 seconds north latitude and 105 degrees 45 minutes 55 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The surface is covered with 0 to 30 percent gravel and fine cobbles.
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 10 to 18 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 7 to 17 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 9 to 25 inches
Depth to lithologic discontinuity: 15 to 24 inches to tuffaceous skeletal material
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches to tuffaceous sandstone
Particle-size control section: 20 to 32 percent clay with 35 to 50 percent fine sand or coarser and averages 10 to 35 percent rock fragments
A horizon:
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline
Bt and Btk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, but the range includes gravelly and very gravelly modifiers in some subhorizons
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 20 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline
2Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma: 1 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, sandy loam, or loamy sand with either very or extremely gravelly modifiers
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent tuffaceous gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline through strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alogia, Antonito, Cushool, Fluetsch, Fonce, Grubrob, Hickey, Rock River, Stunner, and Wycolo series.
Alogia, Fluetsch, Fonce, Hickey, Rock River, Stunner: do not have a lithic or paralithic contact within 40 inches of the surface
Antonito, Grubrob: have a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches deep
Cushool: do not have a lithologic discontinuity with tuffaceous skeletal materials
Wycolo: have hue redder than 7.5YR
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: mixed alluvium and slope alluvium over residuum derived from tuffaceous sandstone
Landform: gently sloping to moderately steep alluvial fans and pediments
Slopes: 1 to 25 percent
Elevation: 5,600 to 7,800 feet
Mean annual precipitation: 10 to 14 inches of which about half falls in spring
Mean annual temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F.
Mean summer temperature: 59 to 65 degrees F.
Frost-free period: 85 to 110 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Bateson and Cushool soils and the Forelle and Pinelli soils. Forelle and Pinelli soils do not have bedrock above a depth of 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff, depending on slope percent; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation consists of western wheatgrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, big sagebrush, blue grama, and threadleaf sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Wyoming. LRR D, MLRA 34. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Albany County Area, Wyoming, 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - 1 to 17 inches (Bt, Btk)
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 1 inch (A)
Argillic horizon - 1 to 17 inches (Bt, Btk)
Calcic horizon - 17 to 31 inches (Bk1,Bk2)
Classification was changed from Ustic Haplargids to Ustic Calciargids 5/99.
Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.