LOCATION MEADOWLAKE WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Lamellic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Meadowlake very flaggy sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; grass litter.
A--1 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very flaggy sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; 20 percent channers, 30 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--2 to 17 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very flaggy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; 20 percent channers and 30 percent flagstones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
Bt--17 to 23 inches; weak red (10R 4/3) very flaggy loamy sand, dusky red (10R 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; few fine lamellae less than 1/4-inch thick; clay coatings on some rock fragments; 50 percent flagstones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 22 inches thick)
R--23 inches; fractured, hard red sandstone. Fractures more than 10 cm. apart.
TYPE LOCATION: Washakie County, Wyoming; 850 feet, 2,250 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 4, T. 48 N., R. 86 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The particles less than 2mm. in diameter in the control section average loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Rock fragments range from 35 to 75 percent, and they are mainly flagstones with smaller amounts of channers.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is slightly acid or moderately acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 10R, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. It contains clay lamellae 1/16 to 1/4 inch in thickness, but the combined thickness of the lamellae is less than 6 inches. Flat surfaces of rock fragments have patches of clay coatings. The fine earth fraction when mixed is loamy sand or loamy fine sand. This horizon is slightly acid or moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Newcomb series. Newcomb soils are very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Meadowlake soils are on mountainsides. Slopes are 10 to 30 percent. The soils formed in residuum weathered from sandstone. Elevation is 7,500 to 9,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 19 to 25 inches. The mean annual temperature is 37 to 44 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 54 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free season ranges from 30 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bachus and Lakehelen soils. Bachus soils have a mollic epipedon and an argillic horizon. Lakehelen soils have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; moderate to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forestry, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is lodgepole pine with an understory of king fescue and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the Bighorn Mountains of north central Wyoming. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washakie County, Wyoming; 1976.
REMARKS:
The 3/2008 description reflects a change in classification from Sandy-skeletal, mixed Lamellic Eutrocryepts to Sandy-skeletal, mixed Lamellic Haplocryepts due to revision of the cryepts great groups and subgroups. The competing series section was not updated and should be reviewed after all the cryepts have been re-classified.