LOCATION PROW WYTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, carbonatic, shallow Ustic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Prow channery silty clay loam - rangeland (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0-2 inches; Light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) channery silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky, plastic; many fine roots, few medium and coarse roots; 15 percent channery; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
C1--2-18 inches; Pale brown (10YR 6/3) channery silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky, plastic; many fine roots; 15 percent channery; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.5);abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 18 inches thick)
C2--18 to 22 inches; Soft, white marlstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Wyoming; NW4, SW4 of Sec. 14, T22N, R118W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 38 degrees to 41 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 55 degrees to 58 degrees F. Depth to soft marlstone is 6 to 20 inches. Calcium carbonate equivalent for the matrix material in coarse fragments less than 20 mm. in diameter is more than 40 percent. Marlstone channery fragments, mostly less than 20 mm. in diameter, range from 15 to 35 percent. The A and C horizons have hue of 2.5Y through 10YR; value of 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist; and chroma of 2 or 3. These horizons are channery silt loam or channery silty clay loam. These horizons are moderately or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is a Roxal (T) series. Roxal soils have mixed mineralogy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Prow soils are on ridges and hillsides. Slopes are O to 60 percent. The soils formed in residuum weathered from soft marlstone. Elevation is 7,200 to 8,000 feet. Annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. The mean annual temperature is 38 degrees to 43 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 54 degrees to 58 degrees F. Frost-free season is 30 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Fossilon and Redmanson soils. Fossilon soils have a lithic contact to marlstone at depths of less than 20 inches. Redmanson soils have a mollic epipedon and lack bedrock at depths above 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow to rapid runoff. Moderately permeable.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland, recreation, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is big sagebrush, service berry, bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, basin wildrye, prairie junegrass, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Present known distribution limited to southwestern Wyoming. The soils are believed to be inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Lincoln County (Fossil Butte National Monument), Wyoming; 1974. (coined name)
REMARKS: These soils were formerly classified as Lithosols.
OSED scanned by NSSQA. Last revised by state on 4/74.