LOCATION DEBONE WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Debone fine sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
E--0 to 8 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; the upper three-quarter inch is a vesicular crust; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Btn--8 to 21 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; strong coarse columnar structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; peds are extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; continuous moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and lining pores and root channels; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)
Bnk--21 to 26 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) sandy clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; violently effervescent, lime disseminated and as common soft masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Bnky--26 to 40 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) fine sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated and as common soft masses; gypsum as common crystals and clusters; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
C--40 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; very thin strata of loam and sandy loam; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; slightly effervescent, lime disseminated and as few soft masses in very thin strata; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4)
TYPE LOCATION: Carbon County, Wyoming; about 400 feet east and 200 feet south of the NE corner of the SW1/4 of sec. 12, T. 19 N., R. 88 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the natric horizon is always below 10 inches and extends to 30 inches in many pedons. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 40 to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature ranges from 59 to 64 degrees F. Coarse fragments are typically absent throughout the profile but are allowed to range from 0 to 15 percent. When averaged, the organic carbon is less than .6 percent in the upper 15 inches.
The E horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4. A vesicular crust is common at the surface of this horizon. EC ranges from 0 to 4 mmhos. Reaction is mildly through strongly alkaline. A thin A horizon is present in some pedons.
The Btn horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is typically clay, sandy clay, or heavy clay loam with 35 to 60 percent clay, 0 to 40 percent silt, and 10 to 60 percent sand. Exchangeable sodium is typically 20 to 35 percent but may range from 15 to 50 percent. EC ranges from 0 to 8 mmhos. Reaction is strongly or very strongly alkaline.
The Bnk and Bnky horizons have hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam, or light clay loam with 18 to 35 percent clay. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 12 to 30 percent. Secondary accumulation of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and salts more soluble than gypsum are common but do not occur in concentrations high enough to qualify as a diagnostic horizon. EC ranges from 2 to 14 mmhos. Reaction is moderately or strongly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. Coarse fragments are typically 0 to 15 percent but may range up to 20 percent below 40 inches. EC is 0 to 8 mmhos. Reaction is moderately through strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Baston series in the same class and the similar Youjay and Westvaco series. Baston soils have a paralithic soil at 20 to 40 inches. Youjay soils are shallow to soft shale. Westvaco soils have 18 to 35 percent clay in the Btn horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Debone soils are on nearly level to sloping alluvial positions. These soils formed in alluvium and colluvial slopewash derived from sodic sandy shale and sandstone. Slopes are typically less than 6 percent but range from 0 to 10 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,300 to 7,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches and ranges from about 5 to 10 inches. About half the annual precipitation falls as snow or rain in April, May, and early June. The frost-free season is estimated to range from 60 to 90 days depending upon aspect, elevation, and air drainage. GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Youjay and Westvaco series and the Clowers, Edlin, and Monte soils. Clowers soils occur more on the present flood plain, are fine-loamy, and lack any pedogenetic subsurface horizons. Edlin soils occur upslope in coarse sediments and have cambic horizons. Monte soils occur in areas where the alluvium is less sodic, and they lack any pedogenetic subsurface horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: moderately well or well drained; runoff is variable from rapid on steeper slopes to slow on 0 to 1 percent slopes; permeability is slow or very slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists of Gardner saltbush, bottlebrush squirreltail, Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, and bud sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Intermountain valleys in western and southern Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eden Valley Area, Wyoming; 1985.