LOCATION LYMANSON WY+CO+MT

Established Series
Rev. PSD/EMM
04/2014

LYMANSON SERIES

The Lymanson series consists of well drained soils that are moderately deep to soft sandstone interbedded with loamstone and thin, discontinuous strata of hard sandstone or siltstone. The soils formed in residuum modified by soil creep, slope alluvium, and colluvial action. Lymanson soils are on mountain and ridge shoulders, scarp slopes, backslopes, and summits. Slopes range from 4 to 40 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 18 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 39 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Ustic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Lymanson loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

Bt--5 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, very friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common thin clay films on faces of peds and common moderately thick clay films in root channels; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)

Btk--10 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few thin clay films on faces of peds; matrix slightly effervescent, lime as few fine soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)

Bk--13 to 30 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent, lime as common fine and medium soft masses, in seams and as filaments and threads; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)

Cr--30 to 60 inches; soft, calcareous sandstone interbedded with loamstone, shale, and discontinuous hard sandstone lenses.

TYPE LOCATION: Johnson County, Wyoming; NE1/4 of sec. 28, T. 45 N., R. 82 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to paralithic contact - typically 25 to 35 inches but ranges from 20 to 40 inches.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon - 7 to 15 inches thick.
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon - 10 to 23 inches.
Mean annual soil temperature - 39 to 44 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 47 to 52 degrees F.
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent gravel or cobbles.
EC - 2 mmhos or less throughout.

A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Reaction: neutral or mildly alkaline but may be moderately alkaline due to recharge of carbonates from upslope.

Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Sand content: more than 15 but less than 35 percent fine or coarser sand Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel or cobbles
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Btk horizon
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Texture: loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel or cobbles
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bk horizon
Hue: 5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Clay content: 15 to 28 percent
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel or cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 4 to 15 percent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline

C horizon present in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES:
Amsden (WY) - does not have a paralithic contact above 60 inches; has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation
Barbarela (MT) - has a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches
Beavridge (WY) - is very deep
Beavmid (WY) - is very deep
Cific (WY) - has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation
Coldspring (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; has a BCt horizon; formed in residuum from sandstone
Croftshaw (NM) - does not have a paralithic contact above 60 inches
Dewville (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact above 60 inches; has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation
Gelkie (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact above 60 inches; has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation
Highrye (MT) does not have a lithic contact above 60 inches
Hooligan (MT) does not have a lithic contact above 60 inches
Inchau (WY) - does not have a lithic contact above 60 inches
Kezar (CO) - has a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches; formed in material weathered from granite
Leavitt (WY) - does not have a paralithic contact above 60 inches; has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation
Lucky (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact
Miracle (CO) - has a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches
Monaberg (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact above 60 inches; formed in alluvium and alpine till
Owenspring (ID) - has silty clay loam textures in the profile
Passcreek (WY) - has a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches; has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation
Rainbolt (WY) - has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation
Tripit (WY) - is calcareous at depths of 6 to 20 inches
Wellsville (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches
Woosley (WY) - has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation
Youga (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches
Zade (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above 60 inches

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: mountain and ridge summits, scarp slopes, shoulders, and backslope and footslope positions.
Parent material: formed in calcareous, medium, or moderately fine textured material weathered from sedimentary rock. Colluvial slopewash, soil creep, and other colluvial processes have influenced soil properties and contributed coarse fragments unlike the sedimentary beds.
Slope: 4 to 40 percent.
Elevation: 5,400 to 9,500 feet.
Mean annual precipitation: 15 to 21 inches.
Mean annual temperature: 33 to 42 degrees F.
Frost-free season: variable and is estimated to range from 30 to 90 days depending upon elevation, aspect, and air drainage.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jenkinson, Mosroc, and Turk soils and the competing Gelkie soils. Jenkinson and Mosroc soils have a lithic contact at less than 20 inches. Also, Jenkinson soils do not have an argillic horizon and Mosroc soils are skeletal throughout. Turk soils have more than 60 percent clay in the control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff depending upon slope; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is western wheatgrass, spike fescue, Idaho fescue, and big sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of western and north-central Wyoming, south-central Montana, and northern Colorado. The series is of moderate extent. MLRAs 43B and 48A.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Johnson County (Southern Part), Wyoming; 1971.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 10 inches (A and Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 5 to 13 inches (Bt and Btk horizons)
Horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - from 10 to 30 inches (Btk and Bk horizons)
Paralithic contact - at 30 inches (Cr horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 5 to 13 (Bt and Btk horizons)

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.