LOCATION PHIFERSON WY+NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Phiferson sandy loam, rangeland, (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
A--0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 centimeters (6 to 12 inches) thick)
Bw--20 to 48 centimeters (8 to 19 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine, few medium roots; very few faint clay bridges between sand grains; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (23 to 61 centimeters (9 to 24 inches) thick)
Bk--48 to 76 centimeters (19 to 30 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; about 10 percent soft sandstone gravel; strongly effervescent; few rounded masses, threads and seams of carbonates; about 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 64 centimeters (4 to 25 inches) thick)
Cr--76 to 102 centimeters (30 to 40 inches); soft, calcareous sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Platte County, Wyoming; 198 meters (650 feet) south and 564 meters (1850 feet) east of the northwest corner of Sec. 32, T24N, R66W. Antelope Gap Quadrangle. 42 degrees 0 minutes 54 seconds north latitude and 104 degrees 48 minutes 6 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the paralithic contact: 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to continuous horizons of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation: 33 to 91 centimeters (13 to 36 inches)
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C. (46 to 52 degrees F.)
Particle size control section:
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Silt content: 10 to 25 percent
Sand content: 60 to 80 percent with more than 35 percent fine sand or coarser Gravel or channers: 0 to 15 percent
Moisture control section: usually dry, but moist for more than 40 cumulative days in some or all parts of the in most years between May 15 and July 15, dry for 60 or more consecutive days between July 15 and October 15 in most years
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loamy fine sand
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bw and AC horizons:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand or very fine sandy loam
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand or very fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Alice,
Blanche,
Busher,
Caval,
Chappell (P),
Creighton,
Jayem,
Lexsworth and
Stapleton series.
Alice, Busher, Caval, Chappell, Creighton, Jayem, Lexsworth and Stapleton soils lack bedrock above depth of 102 centimeters (40 inches).
Jayem and Stapleton soils are noncalcareous.
Blanche soils are not dry for more than 60 consecutive days between July 15 and October 15 in most years.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: nearly level to moderately steep hillslopes benches and terraces Slopes: 0 to 25 percent
Parent material: residuum, alluvium and eolian deposits derived from calcareous sandstone
Elevation: 1280 to 1737 meters (4,200 to 5,700 feet)
Mean annual precipitation: 30 to 38 centimeters (12 to 15 inches) and occurs mainly in spring
Mean annual air temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C. (46 to 51 degrees F.)
Frost-free season: 110 to 130 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Alice and
Creighton soils.
Both of these series occur on similar hillslope positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: well drained
Runoff: low to medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: high
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for range.
Some areas are used for growing small grains under fallow rotations.
Native vegetation is big sagebrush, needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, little bluestem, and Prairie sandreed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Wyoming. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Platte County Area, Wyoming; 1967.
REMARKS: This soil is classified a Haplustoll and not a Calciustoll because the upper 18cm when mixed is non-calcareous.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) (A)
Cambic horizon: 20 to 48 centimeters (8 to 19 inches) (Bw)
Calcic horizon: 48 to 76 centimeters (19 to 30 inches) (Bk)
MLRR- G
SIR - WY0365, WY0948, WY1026,
Modified format by LRM in 7/2006 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.