LOCATION LOLITE WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic, shallow Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Lolite clay--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0.25 to 3 inches thick)
By--2 to 6 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine filaments and clusters of gypsum crystals; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C--6 to 10 inches; gray 5Y 5/1) clay, dark gray (5Y 4/1) moist; fine platy shale rock structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine clusters of sodium sulfate crystals inherited from the parent material; ESP of 35; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2). (3 to 18 inches thick)
Cr--10 to 60 inches; soft, platy, strongly sodic shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Natrona County, Wyoming; about 7 miles NNW of the town of Powder River; 720 feet south and 2,350 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 4, T. 36 N., R. 19 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock ranges from 6 to 20 inches. The particle-size control section is clay, silty clay, or clay loam with 35 to 55 percent clay and less than 35 percent fine sand or coarser. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. Hue is 2.5Y or 5Y, value is 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma is 1 through 3. It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The A horizon typically is noncalcareous, however, in some pedons it is calcareous from dust and overflow. ESP is less than 15. Salinity is less than 4 mmhos. A vesicular crust is on some pedons.
The By horizon has less than 5 percent gypsum. ESP is less than 15. Salinity is less than 4 mmhos. Some pedons do not have a By horizon.
The C horizon has platy shale rock structure, however, roots can penetrate the platy fragments. Salt crystals, dominantly sodium sulfate, are inherited from the parent material with only slight alteration. ESP is commonly greater than 20 and ranges from 15 to 60. Salinity is commonly greater than 10 mmhos and ranges from 8 to 20 mmhos.
The Cr is soft, platy, noncalcareous, sodic shale. It is frequently more than 20 feet thick.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lolite soils are on ridges and hillsides. Slopes range from 3 to 45 percent and are mainly convex. They formed in residuum derived from sodic, noncalcareous shale. These soils are often intermixed with rock outcrop and gullied land. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 14 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 42 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 110 to 130 days. Elevation is 4,900 to 6,500 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arvada, Blackdraw, and Cadoma soils. Arvada and Blackdraw soils are deep. Also, Arvada soils are calcareous and have a natric horizon. Cadoma soils are moderately deep, calcareous, and have a cambic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly Gardner saltbush, western wheatgrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Natrona County, Wyoming; 1985.
REMARKS:
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon Sample No. S83WY-25-13, Sample Nos. 83P3914-3917, Project No. 83P 136, National Soil Survey Laboratory. The pedon sampled is from the same general area as the typical pedon and is representative of the Lolite series.
REMARKS:
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.