LOCATION LONEBEAR WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplogypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Lonebear clay loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 1 inch; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--1 to 12 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
By--12 to 26 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; 23 percent gypsum, common fine threads and seams of gypsum; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 26 inches thick)
C1--26 to 45 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive, platy rock structure visible, however, soil fragments do not break to platelets; matrix noneffervescent, few fine and medium pockets of slightly effervescent material, few fine clusters of gypsum crystals; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary.
C2--45 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; thin platy shale rock structure; matrix noneffervescent, few fine and medium pockets of slightly effervescent material; few fine clusters of gypsum crystals; 50 percent soft shale fragments which break down on pretreatment; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Natrona County, Wyoming; about three miles east of the Willow Creek School; 700 feet south and 700 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 8, T. 40 N., R. 82 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to gypsum accumulation and to the base of the Bw horizon is 10 to 20 inches. Organic carbon in the upper 40 centimeters averages 0.6 to 1.5 percent. The particle-size control section is clay, silty clay, or clay loam with 35 to 50 percent clay and less than 35 percent fine sand or coarser. The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. Hue is 10YR or 2.5Y, value is 5 or 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma is 2 to 4.
The A horizon has an EC of less than 2 mmhos.
The cambic horizon (Bw) is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. EC is less than 2 mmhos.
The gypsic horizon (By) has 10 to 30 percent gypsum. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. EC is less than 4 mmhos.
The C horizon is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. EC ranges from 2 to 8 mmhos.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Razsun series. Razsun soils are moderately deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lonebear soils are on hillsides. Slopes range from 3 to 12 percent. They formed in slopewash alluvium and residuum derived dominantly from gypsiferous shale. Elevation is 5,000 to 5,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches, and the mean annual air temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 120 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Razsun soils and the Chipendale and Silhouette soils. Chipendale soils do not have a cambic horizon, have an EC of 4 to 16 mmhos in the C horizon and have a gypsic horizon within a depth of 7 inches. Silhouette soils do not have a gypsic 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 green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Wyoming. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Natrona County, Wyoming; 1985.