LOCATION FENTON WY
Tentative Series
IRD. DEW/JCK
12/2022
FENTON SERIES
The Fenton series consist of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium. These soils are on stream terraces and alluvial fans. Slopes are from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 309 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 7 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Fenton gravely sandy clay loam, 3 percent slope in cropland at an elevation of 1,513 meters (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 18 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) gravely sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 44 cm thick)
Btk--18 to 45 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravely sandy clay loam; brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots throughout, few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; finely disseminated carbonates and 2 percent fine moist irregular calcium carbonate masses in the matrix; 5 percent fine 10YR 3/1 manganese masses, 8 percent fine 7.5YR 6/4 oxidized iron masses; 5 percent fine 10YR 7/2 iron depletions; 15 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 60 cm thick)
BCk--45 to 200 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravely sandy loam; brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; finely disseminated carbonates and 30 percent prominent carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 3 percent fine 7.5YR 6/4 oxidized iron masses, 8 percent fine 10YR 7/1 iron depletions; 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Park County, Wyoming; 563 meters south and 639 meters west of the northeast corner of section 29, T. 51 N., R. 98W.; Sheets Flat USGS quadrangle; latitude 44 degrees 21 minutes 58.82 seconds N. and longitude 108 degrees 39 minutes 44.74 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 8 to 10 degrees C
Depth to seasonal high water table - 90 to 180 cm
Rock fragments - 15 to 30 percent gravel in the particle-size control section; 15 to 60 percent in the lower part of the subsoil
Note: where cultivated, saturation is, in part, from intensive flood irrigation.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry; 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: sandy loam, sandy clay loam or loam
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent gravel
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm
Reaction: 7.6 to 8.0
Btk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry; 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3, 4 or 6
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam or loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm
Reaction: 7.8 to 8.2
BCk or Bk horizons
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3, 4 or 6
Texture: sandy loam or coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 30 percent
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 4 mmhos/cm
Reaction: 8.0 to 8.4
Some pedons have a Bk horizon in place of the BCk and some pedons have a Bt horizon above the Btk.
COMPETING SERIES:
Paulmyers (ID) - have a lithologic discontinuity; have less than 15 percent rock fragments
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - stream terraces and alluvial fans
Elevation - 1,085 to 1,500 meters
Slope - 0 to 15 percent slopes
Parent material - alluvium
Mean annual precipitation - 254 to 356 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 6 to 8 degrees C
Frost-free period - 110 to 150 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderate to moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Fenton soils are used mainly for irrigated alfalfa and grass hay.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Fenton soils are of small extent in northwest Wyoming. MLRA 32.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Park County, Wyoming; 2016. The name is taken from a local irrigation canal.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 18 cm (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon - from 18 to 45 cm (Btk horizon)
Calcic horizon - from 45 to 200 cm (BCk horizon)
Redoximorphic concentrations - from 18 to 200 cm (Btk and BCk horizons)
Redoximorphic depletions - from 18 to 200 cm (Btk and BCk horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 18 to 45 cm (Btk horizon)
Fenton soils have a mesic temperature regime and an aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.