LOCATION JONAH WY
Tentative Series
Rev. DMM-DJP-RJS
02/2016
JONAH SERIES
The Jonah series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium over residuum weathered from sandstone, shale and mudstone. These soils are on hillslopes, mesas and pediments. Slopes are 1 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 225 mm and annual air temperature is about 4.5 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Ustic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Jonah loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 6 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3), moist; weak thin platy structure; very friable, soft, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and common medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; 10 percent channers; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 cm thick)
Bt--6 to 27 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4), moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many fine and common medium roots; many fine tubular pores; 5 percent faint clay films on all faces of peds; 10 percent channers; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (11 to 49 cm thick)
Bk1--27 to 51 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3), moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and few medium roots; many fine tubular pores; 15 percent moderately cemented carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 20 percent fine irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 10 percent channers; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)
Bk2--51 to 94 cm; olive (5Y 5/4) very gravelly loam, olive (5Y 4/4), moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 15 percent fine irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 50 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual wavy boundary. (40 to 70 cm thick)
Bkz--94 to 114 cm; pale olive (5Y 6/4) very parachannery clay loam, olive (5Y 5/4), moist; massive; firm, moderately hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots throughout; many fine tubular pores; 5 percent fine irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 5 percent fine irregular salt masses in matrix; 5 percent irregular salt masses around rock fragments; 40 percent parachanners; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 26 cm thick)
Cr--114; sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Sublette County, Wyoming; USGS Juel Spring, Wyoming topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees 22 minutes 21.00 seconds north latitude and 109 degrees 35 minutes 50.00 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 3.0 to 7.5 degrees C.
Ochric epipedon thickness - 5 to 12 cm
Depth to argillic horizon - 5 to 12 cm
Depth to calcic horizon - 20 to 55 cm
Depth to paralithic contact - 100 to 150 cm
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 7 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent
Rock Fragments: 2 to 15 percent--0 to 10 percent gravel, 2 to 15 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent
Reaction: pH 7.2 to 7.8
Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5; dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content: 23 to 35 percent
Rock Fragments: 5 to 15 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 7.8
Btk horizon (if present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5; dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content: 22 to 32 percent
Rock Fragments: 2 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.4
Bk1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Rock Fragments: 5 to 15 percent--0 to 10 percent gravel, 5 to 15 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 8
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.6
Bk2 horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock Fragments: 35 to 55 percent--35 to 55 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 10
Reaction: pH 8.4 to 8.8
Bkz horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y; dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Parafragments: 35 to 50 percent parachanners
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Sodium adsorption ration: 0 to 2
Electrical conductivity: 4 to 16 mmhos/cm
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Alogia (WY) - have a seasonal high water table at 100 to 150 cm
Anchutz (WY) - are very deep
Antonito (NM) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Cushool (WY) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Cutback (WY) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Fluetsch (CO) - are very deep
Fonce (CO) - are very deep
Grubrob (CO) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Hickey (WY) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Rock River (WY) - are very deep
Stunner (CO) - are very deep
Trinchera (CO) - are very deep
Wycolo (WY) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - hillslopes, mesas, pediments
Elevation - 2,040 to 2,225 meters
Slope - 1 to 15 percent
Parent Material - slope alluvium over residuum weathered from sandstone, shale and mudstone
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, cool summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 175 to 230 mm with peak periods of precipitation occurring during the spring
Mean annual air temperature - 2.5 to 7.0 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 50 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, Ksat 1.5-15.0 um/sec.
USE AND VEGETATION: Jonah soils are primarily used for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, Sandberg bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, and other forbs and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Jonah soils are of large extent in southwestern Wyoming. MLRA 34A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Sublette County, Wyoming, 2013. The series name is derived from a local landmark.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 6 cm (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - 6 to 27 cm (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon - 27 to 94 cm (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Zone of salt accumulation - 94 to 114 cm (Bkz)
Paralithic contact - at 114 cm (Cr horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 6 to 27 cm (Btk horizon).
Jonah soils have a frigid temperature regime and an aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.