LOCATION PICKETLAKE WY
Tentative Series
Rev. DMM-DJP-RJS
11/2017
PICKETLAKE SERIES
The Picketlake series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium or alluvium derived from conglomerate. These soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 6.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Calciustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Picketlake sandy loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 10 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 13 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick).
Bk1--10 to 20 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 30 percent carbonate coats on the underside of rock fragments; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; 3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 37 cm thick).
Bk2--20 to 38 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; carbonate coats on rock fragments; 5 percent irregular carbonate masses throughout; 12 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary.
Bk3--38 to 65 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 30 percent carbonate coats on rock fragments; 20 percent irregular carbonate masses throughout; 18 percent gravel; violently effervescent; 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bk2 and Bk3 - 25 to 50 cm)
BCk--65 to 150 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; very few fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 30 percent carbonate coats on rock fragments; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Sweetwater County, Wyoming; USGS Picketlake Lake, Wyoming, topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees 14 minutes 42.98 seconds north latitude and 108 degrees 27 minutes 30.22 seconds west longitude, datum WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 6.0 to 8.0 degrees C.
Depth to calcic horizon - 20 to 45 cm
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Clay content - 12 to 16 percent
A horizon(s)
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5; dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Clay content: 8 to 14 percent
Rock fragments: 8 to 15 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 7.0 to 7.6
Bk1 horizon(s)
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5; dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Clay content: 8 to 14 percent
Rock fragments: 8 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 5 percent
Reaction: pH 7.5 to 8.0
Bk2 and Bk3 (when present) horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction): sandy clay loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 23 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 25 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 18 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.2
BCk horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction): sandy loam, loamy sand
Clay content: 7 to 16 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 35 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Amesha (MT) - have greater than 15 percent CCE throughout the Bk horizon
Figuore (WY) - are deep to paralithic contact
Kalsted (MT) - have greater than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent throughout the Bk horizon
Lakebench (CO) - have silt loam surface textures
Redbull (WY) - are deep to paralithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - fan remnants
Elevation - 2,100 to 2,170 meters
Slope - 0 to 4 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium or alluvium derived from conglomerate
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, cool summers
Mean annual precipitation - 225 to 300 mm with peak periods of precipitation occurring during the spring
Mean annual air temperature - 5.0 to 7.0 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 40 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, Ksat for the particle-size control section ranges from 15.0-50.0 um/sec.
USE AND VEGETATION: Picketlake soils are primarily used for rangeland. The vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, threadleaf sedge, Indian ricegrass, and needleandthread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Picketlake soils are of small extent in southwestern Wyoming. MLRA 34A.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Sweetwater County, Wyoming, 2017. Picketlake series is derived from a local landmark.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 10 cm (A horizons)
Calcic horizon - 20 to 150 cm (Bk2, Bk3, BCk horizons)
Particle-size control section - 25 to 100 cm (part of Bk2, Bk3, and part of BCk horizons)
Picketlake soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime and an aridic moisture subclass.
Taxonomic version: Twelfth edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.