LOCATION KEYNER WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Haplic Ustic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Keyner loamy sand-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
E--0 to 6 inches; light gray (2.5Y N7/) loamy sand, gray (2.5Y N5/) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine and common medium roots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--6 to 11 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate coarse columnar structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; very hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many thin clay films on faces of peds, in pores, and lining root channels; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Btn--11 to 18 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many thin clay films on faces of peds, lining pores, and in root channels; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Btnk--18 to 26 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few thin clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent, carbonates as common soft masses and filaments; few salt crystals; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
C--26 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent, carbonates mostly disseminated with few fine soft masses; few salt crystals in thin seams; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Johnson County, Wyoming; 2600 feet west and 20 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 24, T. 45 N., R. 83 W. 43 degrees 50 minutes 53 seconds north latitude and 106 degrees 46 minutes 36 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the natric horizon and to horizons of maximum carbonate accumulation ranges from 11 to 32 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 53 degrees F. Rock fragments are typically less than 5 percent but range from 0 to 15 percent fine rounded gravel.
The E horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 0 through 3. EC is less than 2 mmhos. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 0 to 15 percent. This horizon is noncalcareous unless recharged by runon water or dust. Reaction is neutral through strongly alkaline. A thin A horizon is present in some pedons above the E horizon.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is typically sandy clay loam but may range to loam and clay loam with 18 to 35 percent clay, 0 to 40 percent silt and more than 40 percent sand with over 35 percent sand being fine or coarser. EC is less than 2 mmhos. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 2 to 10 percent. Reaction is moderately or strongly alkaline.
The Btn horizon has the same color and texture properties as the Bt horizon. EC ranges from 2 to 16 mmhos. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 10 to 15 percent. Reaction is commonly very strongly alkaline and less commonly strongly alkaline.
The Btnk horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or silty clay loam with 15 to 35 percent clay. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 6 to 14 percent of which about three-fourths is pedogenetic. EC ranges from 2 to 16 mmhos depending upon salt accumulations. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 15 to 40 percent. Reaction is strongly or very strongly alkaline. Other subordinate suffixes such as y or z are common.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Textures are fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or sandy clay loam. Carbonates and salts are present, but over three-fourths are considered to be allogenic. Some discontinuous thin horizons containing pedogenetic carbonates and salts are common. EC ranges from 2 to 8 mmhos. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 15 to 40 in the upper part and decreases rapidly with depth. Reaction is strongly or very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The Absted, Arvada, and Muff series are similar. Absted and Arvada soils have more than 35 percent clay in the natric horizon. In addition, the Arvada soils have more than 15 percent exchangeable sodium in the upper Bt horizon. Muff soils are moderately deep and have less than .6 percent organic carbon in the upper 15 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Keyner soils are on relict alluvial terraces, fans, and fan aprons. These soils formed in moderately coarse sediments weathered from calcareous, sodic sandstone interbedded with thin lenses of shale. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations are 3800 to 6,500 feet. The climate is cool, semi-arid with cold dry winters, cool moist springs, and dry warm summers. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches with about half falling as snow or rain in April, May, and early June. The mean annual temperature ranges from about 43 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is estimated to range from 105 to about 130 days depending upon elevation, aspect, and local air drainage.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Amodac, Hiland, and Zigweid soils and the competing Absted series. Amodac soils have cambic horizons and occur intermixed with the Keyner soils. Hiland soils have nonsodic argillic horizons. Zigweid soils have nonsodic cambic horizons and less than 35 percent fine or coarser sand in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff depending upon slope; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is variable depending upon site but typically consists of western wheatgrass, needleandthread, big sagebrush, and green needlegrass. Alkali sacaton and inland saltgrass are common where erosion has removed part of the nonsodic surface.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and eastern Wyoming and Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Johnson County, Wyoming, South Part; 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Albic horizon - 0 to 6 inches (E)
Natric horizon - 6 to 26 inches (Btnk)
SIR- WY1135
LRR-G