LOCATION FRISITE WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Frisite fine sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
BA--3 to 6 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--6 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; continuous thin and few thick clay films on faces of peds; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)
Btk--13 to 16 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; continuous thin clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and as common fine soft masses and seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bk--16 to 41 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and as common fine soft masses and seams; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (14 to 30 inches thick)
C--41 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming; about 300 feet west and 500 feet north of the SE corner of sec. 5, T. 34 N., R. 92 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 15 to 27 inches. Free carbonates at the surface are common where soils have been influenced by recharge, but these soils may be leached free of carbonates through the argillic horizon. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 51 degrees F. Rock fragments of the entire soil to 60 inches ranges from 0 to 15 percent rounded pebbles. EC to a depth of 60 inches ranges from 0 to 2 mmhos.
The A 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. Reaction is mildly or moderately alkaline. The BA or AB horizon has the same morphological properties as defined for color and reaction.
The Bt and Btk horizons have hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam with 18 to 35 percent clay, 20 to 55 percent silt, and 20 to 55 percent sand with more than 15 but less than 35 percent fine sand or coarser. Reaction is moderately or strongly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture averages loam but clay loams are common when clay size carbonates are present. Noncarbonate clay ranges from 18 to 30 percent. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 4 to 14 percent. This horizon is not a diagnostic calcic horizon. Reaction is moderately or strongly alkaline.
The C 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. Texture is loam, sandy loam, or clay loam. Reaction is moderately or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blancot, Doak, Fruita, Griffy, Nack, Mesa, Nannyton, Neiber, Papoose, Redlands, and Saddle series. The Blancot and Doak soils have mean annual soil temperature of 53 to 57 and 52 to 56 degrees F., respectively, and occur in areas where the frost-free season exceeds 140 days. The Fruita soils are very similar but have mean annual soil temperatures of 51 to 58 degrees F. and occur in areas where the frost-free season is 130 to 190 days. Griffy and Saddle soils have more than 35 percent fine sand or coarser in the particle size control section. Nack, Mesa, and Nannyton soils have diagnostic calcic horizons. In addition, Mesa soils are loamy-skeletal at 20 to 40 inches, and Nannyton soils have E horizons and skeletal substratum at 40 to 60 inches. Neiber and Papoose soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Redland soils have hue of 2.5YR and 5YR in the Bt and substrata.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Frisite soils are on relic terraces, fan aprons, valley fill and hill backslope positions. These soils formed in alluvium weathered from preliminary shale and interbedded sandstone but modified by national from mixed sources. Slopes are simple and range from 0 to 10 percent. Elevation ranges from 4,800 to 6,300 feet. The climate is semiarid with cold dry winters and cool moist springs and warm dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches of which about half falls as snow and rain in April, May, and early June. The mean annual temperature ranges from 43 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is estimated to range from 110 to 130 days depending upon elevation, aspect, and air drainage.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SERIES: These are the competing Griffy, Saddle, and the Emblem and Youngston soils. Emblem soils do not have Bt horizons but have sandy or sandy-skeletal substrata and calcic horizons. Youngston soils formed in recent alluvial deposits and do not have diagnostic subsurface horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, big sagebrush, and rhizomatous wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Cool mountain basins and plains in western and central Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County, Wyoming, East Part; 1985.
REMARKS:
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.