LOCATION ICESLEW WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Aeric Fluvaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Iceslew very fine sandy loam--on a 1 percent slope--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick.)
C1--2 to 8 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary.
C2--8 to 12 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (Thickness of the Bw horizon is 6 to 18 inches thick.)
Cg1--12 to 32 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; common fine and medium prominent mottles of brown (7.5YR 4/4) and gray (5Y 5/1); weak thin platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary (12 to 30 inches thick).
Cg2--32 to 60 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) loam stratified with thin lenses of fine sandy loam and very fine sandy loam, dark olive (5Y 3/2) moist; many medium and large faint mottles of dark gray (5Y 4/1) and few fine and medium prominent brown (10YR 5/3); massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming; 800 feet north, 1,800 feet west of the SE corner of sec. 11, T. 30 N., R. 90 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 46 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is 59 to 65 degrees F. A fluctuating water table ranges from 6 to 30 inches throughout most of the year, except in March through June when it is ponded. The particle size control section averages loam, very fine sandy loam, or silt loam with 18 to 27 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine or coarser sand. Coarse fragments range from 0 to 15 percent pebbles throughout the entire soil. Mottles of 7.5YR or 5YR can occur below 4 inches, and mottles of 2.5Y or 5Y hue range in depth from 10 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist. Reaction is mildly alkaline through strongly alkaline. Electrical conductivity ranges from 2 to 8 mmhos.
The C horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam, or silt loam. It is stratified with finer textures in the lower part in some pedons. Reaction is mildly alkaline through strongly alkaline. EC ranges from 2 to 8 mmhos.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist, and chroma is 1 through 4 dry and moist. Mottles of olive, gray, and brown range from few to many, faint to prominent, and fine to large. Textures are very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. Typically, EC is more than 4 mmhos but ranges from 2 to 8 mmhos. Reaction is mildly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Iceslew soils are on alluvial fans, flood plains, and valley sideslopes. Slopes are 0 to 6 percent. Elevation is 6,200 to 7,500 feet. The soil formed in loamy sediments derived dominantly from light colored, interbedded sandstone, siltstone, and shale. Seeps are numerous at the type location. The average annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches with peak period occurring in spring and early summer. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Countryman, Hoodle, Rock River, Ryan Park, Venable, and Wellsville soils. Countryman soils are coarse-loamy; Hoodle, Rock River, Ryan Park, and Wellsville soils have argillic horizons. Venable soils have mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; ponded; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland. Native vegetation is primarily sedges, rushes, inland saltgrass, alkali sacaton, and greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Wyoming. This series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County, Wyoming, East Part; 1985.