LOCATION MAXON WY
Tentative Series
ALB-DPG-DEW
04/2025
MAXON SERIES
Depth class: Moderately deep
Drainage class: Well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity class: Moderately low
Parent material: Slope alluvium or colluvium over residuum weathered from interbedded sedimentary rocks
Geomorphic location: Hillslopes
Slope range: 8 to 30 percent
Mean annual temperature: 4.5 degrees C (40 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 205 millimeters (8 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Sodic Ustic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Maxon gravelly sandy loam in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 10 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots throughout; few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravels, 6 percent cobbles; very slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bw--10 to 23 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots throughout; few very fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravels, 14 percent cobbles; very slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary.
BCkn--23 to 50 centimeters; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots at top of horizon; few very fine irregular pores; 5 percent calcium carbonate masses in the matrix; 51 percent gravels; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear smooth boundary.
C1--50 to 64 centimeters; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; 45 percent gravels; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear smooth boundary.
C2--64 to 83 centimeters; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; 40 percent gravels; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear smooth boundary.
R--83 centimeters; interbedded sedimentary bedrock, lithic.
TYPE LOCATION:
Sweetwater County, WY
USGS Quadrangle: Austin Ranch
Latitude: 41.7031722
Longitude: -109.5836944
Datum: WGS84
Coordinates source: Hand-held GPS
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to cambic horizon: 5 to 10 centimeters
Depth to sodic properties: 17 to 35 centimeters
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 centimeters
Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content-19 to 26 percent
Sand content-57 to 65 percent
Total rock fragments-46 to 64 percent
A horizon:
Hue-10YR or 2.5Y
Value-5 or 6 dry; 4 moist
Chroma-4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)-Sandy loam
Clay content-10 to 19 precent
Rock fragments-15 to 52 percent; 0 to 30 percent gravels, 0 to 50 percent channers, 0 to 4 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent-1 to 5 percent
Sodium absorption ratio-0 to 3
Reaction-pH 7.8 to 8.4
Thickness-5 to 10 centimeters
Bw/Bk horizon (s):
Hue-10YR
Value-5 or 6 dry; 4 moist
Chroma-4 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)-Fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content-13 to 25 percent
Rock fragments-30 to 55 percent; 0 to 35 percent gravels, 0 to 14 percent cobbles, 0 to 53 percent channers, 0 to 5 percent flagstones
Calcium carbonate equivalent-1 to 5 percent
Sodium absorption ratio-0 to 3
Reaction-pH 7.8 to 8.4
Thickness-10 to 14 centimeters
Bkn/BCkn horizon (s):
Hue-10YR or 2.5Y
Value-6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma-3 or 4 dry; 4 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)-Sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or loam
Clay content-13 to 28 percent
Rock fragments-35 to 57 percent; 35 to 55 percent gravels, 0 to 5 percent flagstones
Calcium carbonate equivalent-3 to 5 percent
Sodium absorption ratio-13 to 25
Reaction-pH 8.6 to 9.6
Thickness-12 to 27 centimeters
C horizon (s):
Hue-10YR or 2.5Y
Value-6 to 8 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma-3 or 4 dry; 4 or 6 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)-Fine sandy loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or loam
Clay content-14 to 29 percent
Rock fragments-20 to 75 percent; 20 to 65 percent gravels, 0 to 10 percent flagstones
Calcium carbonate equivalent-3 to 5 percent
Sodium absorption ratio-13 to 25
Reaction-pH 8.6 to 9.6
Thickness-33 to 44 centimeters
COMPETING SERIES:
None listed.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Slope alluvium or colluvium over residuum weathered from interbedded sedimentary rocks
Landform: Hillslopes
Slope: 8 to 30 percent
Mean annual temperature: 2.5 to 7.0 degrees C (37 to 45 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 180 to 230 mm (7 to 9 inches)
Frost-free period: 50 to 100 days
Elevation: 1,890 to 2,100 meters (6,200 to 6,890 feet)
Climate: Long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, warm summers
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
None listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: Well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: 0.5 to 1.5 m/sec
USE AND VEGETATION:
Maxon soils are primarily used for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, needle and thread, thickspike wheatgrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, winterfat, and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Maxon soils are of small extent in southwestern Wyoming; MLRA 34A.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED:
Sweetwater County, WY 2023. Maxon series is a coined phrase.
REMARKS:
Typical Pedon Taxonomic Features:
Ochric epipedon-0 to 10 centimeters (A horizon)
Cambic horizon-10 to 50 centimeters (Bw and BCkn horizons)
Sodic properties-23 to 83 centimeters (BCkn, C1, C2 horizons)
Secondary calcium carbonate accumulation-23 to 50 centimeters (BCkn horizon)
Lithic contact-83 centimeters (R horizon)
Particle-size control section-25 to 83 centimeters
Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 13th edition, (2022)
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.