LOCATION MOORHEAD WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Torrertic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Moorhead clay loam -- on an north facing slope of 1 percent, utilized as rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many fine vescular pores throughout; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--4 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine roots and few medium roots throughout; many fine irregular pores throughout; many distinct continuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 24 inches thick)
Btk--18 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many fine irregular pores throughout; common distinct discontinuous dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds; common fine irregular light gray (10YR 7/2) carbonate threads throughout; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Bk1--24 to 32 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common fine irregular pores throughout; common fine irregular light gray (10YR 7/2) carbonate threads throughout; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Bk2--32 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine irregular pores throughout; common fine irregular light gray (10YR 7/2) carbonate threads throughout; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Campbell County, Wyoming; about 2450 feet east and 1450 feet north of the southwest corner of Sec. 36, T 55 N, R 69 W.; USGS Brislawn School, WY topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 42 minutes 13 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees 5 minutes 44 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the argillic horizon is 21 to 35 inches. Depth to accumulations of calcium carbonate is typically 13 to 20 inches, but ranges to 34 inches in some pedons. It has 0 to 10 percent rock fragments throughout. Electrical conductivity is 0 to 4 millimhos per centimeter. The moisture control section is usually moist in some or all parts in March through June. The average annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is clay loam, silty clay loam, loam or silt loam. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. Some pedons have an AB horizon up to 5 inches thick.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7,5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is clay loam, silty clay or clay. It has 35 to 50 percent clay and 10 to 30 percent fine and coarser sand. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Btk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 dry and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is clay loam, silty clay or clay with 35 to 50 percent clay. It has 4 to 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 dry and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is clay loam, clay, silty clay loam or loam. It has 4 to 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. Exchangeable sodium is typically less than 5 percent but ranges from 0 to 10 percent. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Demar, Horselake, Teeque and Thurlow series. Demar soils are more acid and have a Bz horizon. Horselake soils are moderately deep. Teeque soils are dry during the period of April through June. Thurlow soils do not have a Btk horizon and are cooler.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moorhead soils are on fan remnants, alluvial fans, plateaus, terraces, valley fill positions, hills and ridges. They formed in alluvium derived primarily from shale. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations are 3,500 to 5,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 17 inches, half of which falls as rain or snow from March through June. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 44 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 105 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cromack, Deekay, Echeta, Jaywest, Leiter, Oldwolf and Spottedhorse soils. Deekay and Oldwolf soils are fine-loamy. Echeta and Cromack soils have cambic horizons and are calcareous throughout. Jaywest and Spottedhorse soils have an absolute increase of more than 15 percent clay within a vertical distance of one inch at the upper boundary of the Bt horizon. Lieter soils are moderately deep. Deekay, Echeta, and Jaywest soils are on similar positions. Lieter, Oldwolf, Cromack, and Spottedhorse soils are on shoulders and summits on hills and ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very high runoff, depending on slope; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are utilized as rangeland, hayland and pasture, irrigated and nonirrigated cropland, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, blue grama and big sagebrush. Winter wheat, oats, barley and alfalfa are the principle cultivated crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Moorhead soils occur in the Powder River basin of north-central and northeastern Wyoming. The series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Campbell County, Wyoming, Southern Part; 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 4 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - 4 to 24 inches (Bt, Btk)
SIR- WY1378
LRR- G