LOCATION LAKEHELEN          WY+CO
Established Series
Rev. JEI/PSD/MCS
02/2006

LAKEHELEN SERIES


The Lakehelen series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered in place from granite or hard sandstone. Lakehelen soils are on mountain sides and have slopes of 5 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 22 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 38 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Haplocryalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Lakehelen cobbly sandy loam-forested. Class I stoniness on the surface; discontinuous forest duff up to 1 inch on the surface. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

E--0 to 19 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)

Bt1--19 to 30 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very cobbly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; continuous thin clay films on faces of peds; few scattered pockets of A2 material; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)

Bt2--30 to 37 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very cobbly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; continuous thick clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

R--37 inches; fractured granite.

TYPE LOCATION: Washakie County, Wyoming; 400 feet south, 1,750 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 4, T. 48 N., R. 86 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches
Mean annual soil temperature: 39 to 44 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 56 to 59 degrees F., 43 to 46 degrees F. with an O horizon
Rock fragments: 20 to 60 percent gravel, 5 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 30 percent stones throughout the control section

Some pedons have an A horizon (2 to 4 inches thick).

E horizon:
Hue: 10YR through 5 YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Reaction: moderately acid through neutral

Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Texture of the fine earth: sandy clay loam, loam, or clay loam
Clay: 18 to 35 percent
Reaction: moderately acid through neutral

Some pedons have a C horizon with a fine earth texture of sandy loam.

COMPETING SERIES:
Cadotte (MT), Cundiyo (NM), Goosepeak (CO)-very deep
Cloud Peak (MT), Hyattville (WY), Kimpton (MT)-accumulations of secondary calcium carbonate
Guffy (CO), Tepecreek (MT)-have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches
Lake Creek (WY)-rock fragments are mainly stones
Lulude (CO)- have 5YR hues in the Bt and formed in volcanic rocks

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lakehelen soils are on moderately steep or steep mountainsides. Slopes are 5 to 70 percent. The soils formed in residuum weathered from hard sandstone or granite. Elevation is 7,000 to 10,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 25 inches. The mean annual temperature is 32 to 44 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 54 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free season is 30 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Granile, Hyattville, Irigul, Limber, and Tine soils.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; moderate or moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forestry, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir with an understory of fescue, bluegrass, and pinegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The series is of moderate extent in Wyoming and Colorado.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washakie County, Wyoming; 1976.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon0 to 19 inches (E horizon)
Argillic Horizon--19 to 37 inches (Bt1,Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact--37 inches (R layer)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.