LOCATION FELIX WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Epiaquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Felix clay-in a level upland basin; utilized as rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 2 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay, gray (5Y 6/1) dry; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
BA--2 to 5 inches; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) clay, dark gray (5Y 4/1) dry (B), dark gray (5Y 4/1), gray (5Y 6/1) dry (A); common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and few medium prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct discontinuous gray (5Y 6/1) skeletans on faces of peds; neutral. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bss1--5 to 20 inches; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) clay, dark gray (5Y 4/1) dry; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct continuous black (5Y 2/1) intersecting slickensides throughout; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bss2--20 to 30 inches; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) clay, dark gray (5Y 4/1) dry; common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine tubular pores; few distinct discontinuous very dark gray (5Y 3/1) intersecting slickensides throughout; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined Bss horizons 20 to 33 inches thick)
By--30 to 50 inches; dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) clay, olive gray (5Y 4/2) dry; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine tubular pores; common fine and medium irregular light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of gypsum throughout; very slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bky--50 to 65 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; common fine irregular light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of gypsum throughout and common fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) carbonate threads throughout; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 40 inches thick)
C--65 to 80 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations and few common prominent gray (5Y 5/1) redoximorphic depletions; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Cr--80 to 114 inches; gray (2.5Y 6/1) soft shale bedrock, light gray (2.5Y 7/1) dry.
TYPE LOCATION: Campbell County, Wyoming; about 2200 feet east and 800 feet south of the northwest corner of Sec. 10, T55N, R73W.; USGS Homestead Draw, SW WY topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 45 minutes 57 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees 37 minutes 40 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the Bss horizon ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments are typically absent but may range from 0 to 5 percent. Depth to carbonates is more than 27 inches. The particle-size control section averages 60 to 75 percent clay. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F.
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 3 or 4, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay, clay loam, silty clay loam or loam
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
BA horizon:
The horizon has characteristics similar to the respective A and B horizons.
Bss horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 2 to 5, 4 to 7 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay or silty clay
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
EC: 0 to 4 mmhos/cm
Notes: Some pedons have Bssy or Bssz horizons with ECs ranging from 4 to
16 mmhos/cm.
By horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 3 to 5, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay or silty clay
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
EC: 0 to 4 mmhos/cm
Gypsum percent: 0 to 2
Notes: Some pedons have Bz horizons with ECs ranging from 4 to 16
mmhos/cm.
Bky horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 3 to 5, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: clay or silty clay
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
EC: 0 to 4 mmhos/cm
Calcium carbonate percent: 1 to 5
Gypsum percent: 0 to 2
Notes: Some pedons have Bkz horizons with ECs ranging from 4 to 16
mmhos/cm.
C horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 or 5, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: clay or silty clay
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
EC: 0 to 4 mmhos/cm
Calcium carbonate percent: 0 to 5
Gypsum percent: 0 to 2
Note: Some pedons do not have a C horizon above the Cr horizon.
Cr horizon:
The Cr horizon consists of soft shale, siltstone or sandstone bedrock. Some pedons do not have a Cr horizon within depths of 2 meters.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Felix soils are in upland basins, playas and depressions that are subject to ponding. They formed in alluvium derived from shale. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 3,600 to 5,300 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 17 inches, half of which falls as rain and snow from late March through June. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 44 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 105 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bahl, Bidman, Cambria, Deekay, Echeta, Forkwood, Jaywest, Moorhead, Oshoto, Silhouette and Ulm soils. Bahl, Bidman, Echeta, Jaywest, Mooorhead, Silhouette and Ulm soils are fine. Cambria, Deekay and Forkwood soils are fine-loamy. Oshoto soils are fine-silty. All these soils occur on higher positions on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly and poorly drained; runoff is ponded; very slow permeability; the soil has a wet soil moisture state at a depth of 1 foot above the surface to a depth of 1.5 feet at some time during the period of April through July. The soil ponds occasionally to frequently for long or very long duration during the months of March to July.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are utilized for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly Basin wildrye, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, and big bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Felix soils occur in northeastern Wyoming. MLRA 58B. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Campbell County, Wyoming, Southern Part; 1995
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 inches (A and BA horizons);
Vertisol criteria - Intersecting slickensides in the 5 to 30 inch zone (Bss1 and Bss2 horizons)
SIR- WY1299.