LOCATION GYPLA WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, gypsic, frigid Leptic Haplogypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Gypla loam, 2 percent slope, in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 5 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots; slightly effervescent, lime disseminated; electrical conductivity of 21 mmhos; 5 percent alabaster gravel; moderately alkaline, (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
By1--5 to 36 inches; white (10YR 8/2) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 8/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; slightly effervescent carbonates disseminated and as few small masses; many fine irregular small masses of gypsum and carbonates; electrical conductivity of 14 mmhos; 5 percent alabaster gravel; mildly alkaline, (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (30 to 40 inches thick)
By2--36 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly silt loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) moist with few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5YR 5/8) and many fine and medium distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/3) mottles; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and as few small masses; many fine irregular small masses of gypsum and carbonates; electrical conductivity of 18 mmhos; 15 percent alabaster gravel; mildly alkaline, (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Albany County, Wyoming; 1175 feet west and 2340 feet north of the southeast corner, Section 34, T.14N., R.73W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 43 to 47 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 59 to 63 degrees F. The particle-size control section is difficult to measure because of the gypsum content, apparent texture is silt loam and loam with 10 to 18 percent clay and less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. The coarse material including part of the sand fraction, is composed of gypsum crystals and some alabaster. This material is unstable and breaks down upon pretreatment. Coarse fragments of alabaster range from 0 to 5 percent in the upper 35 inches and from 0 to 15 percent in the lower part of the substratum. Gypsum content is 40 to 60 percent throughout the control section. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from a trace to 14 percent in the gypsic horizon and occurs in an irregular pattern within most horizons. A water table is present from April through July in most years at 20 to 40 inches. The moisture control section always feels moist because of the gypsum but available moisture is low and is depleted by mid-August.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is loam or silt loam. The reaction is mildly or moderately alkaline.
The By horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 8 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6. Texture is silt loam, silt, or loam. The reaction is neutral or mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gypla soils are on floodplains or in gypsum sloughs or seeps. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in gypsum rich alluvium, possibly enriched by gypsum-bearing ground water. Elevation is 6000 to 7800 feet, mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches, and mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. Frost-free season is 85 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Almy and Alogia series. These soils have diagnostic argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Native rangeland and urban development are the dominant land uses. Native vegetation is alkali sacaton, inland saltgrass, and greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High intermontane basins of southern Wyoming. Series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Albany County Area, 1990.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 inches (A horizon);
Gypsic horizon - 5 to 60 inches (By1, By2 horizons).