LOCATION PAIGES WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Humic Dystrustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Paiges clay loam-on a southwest facing slope of three percent, utilized as rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A1--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak medium and fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many medium and fine roots and common coarse roots; 30 percent fine and very fine shale platelets that break down on pretreatment; extremely acid (pH 4.0); clear smooth boundary.
A2--5 to 16 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) moist; weak medium and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many medium and fine roots and common coarse roots; 50 percent soft fine and very fine shale platelets; extremely acid (pH 4.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizon is 3 to 16 inches.)
AC--16 to 28 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine platy; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few coarse, common medium and fine roots; 60 percent soft fine and very fine shale platelets; extremely acid (pH 3.8); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
C--28 to 39 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin and moderately thick plate-like rock structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few coarse, medium, and fine roots; 70 percent soft fine and very fine shale platelets; extremely acid (pH 3.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
Cr--39 to 60 inches; very pale brown to brownish yellow acid shale and layers of bentonitic shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Niobrara County, Wyoming; about 1,280 feet north and 1,100 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 8, T. 38 N., R. 61 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the umbric epipedon is 10 to 16 inches. The base saturation of the umbric epipedon is less than 50 percent and typically decreases throughout the control section. Depth to acid shale bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Coarse fragments in the form of soft fine and very fine shale platelets that break down on pretreatment range from 20 to 50 percent in the A horizon and 60 to 80 percent in the C horizon. The control section averages 0 to 15 percent hard shale channers. The soil is dry in the moisture control section more than half the time cumulative that the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 41 degrees F., which occurs about April 21-27, but is dry in all parts of the moisture control section for at least 60 consecutive days from July 1 to October 25 and for at least 90 cumulative days during this period. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F., and the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 41 degrees F. or more for 175 to 192 days.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is very strongly acid or extremely acid.
The AC horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Textures are clay loam, clay, or silty clay with 35 to 55 percent clay. It is extremely acid. Some pedons contain a Bw horizon in place of the AC. When present, it is too thin to qualify as a cambic horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Textures are clay loam, clay, or silty clay with 35 to 55 percent clay. Hard shale channers average 0 to 15 percent, but subhorizons above shale bedrock may contain up to 30 percent channers. It is extremely acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this taxonomic class.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Paiges soils are on pediment slopes underlain by acid shales and on shale dipslopes. They formed in fine textured alluvium and residuum derived from acid shales. Slopes are 3 to 10 percent. Elevations are 3,800 to 4,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches, half of which falls as rain and snow in April, May, and early June. The mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free season is 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bumbob (T), Blackdraw, and Grummit soils. Bumbob and Blackdraw soils are deep and lack umbric epipedons. Grummit soils have shale bedrock at depths of 10 to 20 inches and lack umbric epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are utilized for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is prairie sandreed, little bluestem, wheatgrass, silver sage, and rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Paiges soils occur in eastern Wyoming. The series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Niobrara County, Wyoming; 1993.