LOCATION LAHTIDA WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, frigid Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Lahtida loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 10 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; many moderately thick clay films; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--10 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many moderately thick clay films; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt is 11 to 26 inches)
C--15 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8), abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Cr--28 inches; angular blocks of claystone.
TYPE LOCATION: Albany County, Wyoming; 1,500 feet south and 500 feet east of the NE corner Section 4, T27N, R76W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 59 to 62 degrees F. Coarse fragments are typically absent in the whole soil but may range from 0 to 5 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is loam or clay loam. Reaction is neutral through moderately alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6. Texture is clay loam or clay and less commonly sandy clay loam. Weighted average clay content ranges from 35 to 50 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam with 20 to 35 percent clay. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Whiteriver series in the same family and the similar Pinelli and Kather series. Whiteriver soils are very deep. Pinelli and Kather soils have smectitic mineralogy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lahtida soils are on gently sloping hills and pediments. They formed in residuum and slope alluvium derived from tuff and claystone. Slopes are 1 to 12 percent. Elevations are 7,000 to 7,500 feet. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches of which about half falls as snow and less commonly rain in April, May and early June. Mean annual temperature ranges from 39 to 42 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 85 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pinelli and Twocabin soils. Both soils are deep. In addition Twocabin soils are skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is slow or medium; permeability is slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists of big sagebrush, mutton bluegrass, needleandthread, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Wyoming. The series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Albany County (Albany County Area), Wyoming, 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Ochric horizon - 0 to 2 inches; Argillic horizon - 2 to 15 inches; Paralithic contact - 28 inches; Borollic feature - meets organic carbon and soil temperature regime requirement for Borollic.