LOCATION DELL WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Ustic Glossocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Dell loam, forest. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; decomposed forest litter.
A--1 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse crumb structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--4 to 7 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak thin platy structure that parts to weak fine crumb structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many uncoated sand grains; few roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4) gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
E/B--7 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; pockets of light gray (10YR 7/2) uncoated material from the E horizon; weak fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; faint patchy clay films on peds; few roots; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and very fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; prominent continuous clay films on all faces of peds; few large tree roots; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--14 to 21 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and very fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; prominent continuous clay films on all faces of peds; few tree roots; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 20 inches thick)
Bt3--21 to 33 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; faint patchy clay films on peds; 25 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
C--33 to 43 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, sticky, slightly plastic; 25 percent stones; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (8 inches to several feet thick)
R--43 to 47 inches; fractured limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Johnson County, Wyoming; about 1/4 mile west of old Flagle sawmill, in the SW1/4 NE1/4 of sec. 23, T.45N., R.85W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 33 degrees to 46 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 40 degrees to 48 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is 40 to 60 inches or more. Depth to calcareous material ranges from 24 to 50 inches. These soils are calcareous in the C horizon, but they do not have a consistent accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate. Rock fragments, mainly stones, range from 0 to 35 percent.
The E horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 6 through 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist and chroma of 2 through 4. It is moderately acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 through 4. This horizon is clay loam or clay averaging 35 to 50 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine or coarser sand. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR. It is moderately or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cowdrey, Graneros, Lail, and Tercio series. Cowdrey, Lail and Tercio soils are very deep. Graneros soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Dell soils are on sloping to steep alluvial fans and valley fills at elevations of 7,500 to 10,000 feet. The soils formed in moderately fine, calcareous alluvium from sedimentary rock with some inclusions of coarse material from conglomerates. The average annual precipitation is 18 to 25 inches. The average annual temperature is 32 degrees to 47 degrees F. The average summer temperature is 38 degrees to 57 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bondurant, Cloud Peak, and Tongue River soils. Bondurant soils have a mollic epipedon more than 16 inches thick. Cloud Peak soils are loamy-skeletal. Tongue River soils have bedrock at a depth of less than 40 inches and are fine-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for woodland, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, Engleman spruce, and lodgepole pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountains of northern Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Johnson County, (Southern Part), Wyoming, 1971.