LOCATION QUERC WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Querc silt loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; slightly acid (pH 6.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A2--2 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine granular; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--5 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium and fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; continuous clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent soft shale fragments between 2 mm. and one-fourth inch in size; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 17 inches thick)
C--14 to 35 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; 30 percent soft shale fragments between 2 mm. and one-fourth inch in size; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
Cr--35 inches; soft, weathered, acid, platy, dark gray fissile shale with sulfates between the plates.
TYPE LOCATION: Crook County, Wyoming; center of sec. 9, T. 55 N., R. 60 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 48 to 53 degrees F. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon is 10 to 22 inches. Depth to bedded shale is 20 to 40 inches. Shale fragments range from 15 to 35 percent and are between 2 mm. and one-fourth inch in size.
2- Querc Series
The A horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR; chroma of 1 or 2. It is medium acid or slightly acid.
The B2t horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is typically a silty clay loam but may be clay loam or clay. Clay ranges from 35 to 60 percent and has more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. It is medium acid or slightly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR. Textures are normal clay loam or silty clay loam. The shale fragments break down upon pre-treatment. It is medium acid or slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ashfork, Blackpipe, Boneek, Chapin, Collbran, Emigrant, Huggins, Kube, Loma, Nunn, Rednun, Richfield, Ryus, Sofia, Savo, Thunderbird, Torreon, and Wormser series. The Ashfork, Chapin, Thunderbird, and Wormser soils have a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches. The Ashfork, Blackpipe, Boneek, Chapin, Collbran, Emigrant, Kube, Loma, Nunn, Rednun, Richfield, Ryus, Sofia, Savo, Torreon, and Wormser have free carbonates in the series control section or above 40 inches. The Boneek, Collbran, Kube, Loma, Nunn, Rednun, Richfield, Ryus, Sofia, and Torreon soils lack a paralithic contact above 40 inches. All the competing soils have reactions more alkaline than slightly acid.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Querc soils are on nearly level to moderate slopes of upland ridges and hills. Slopes are 0 to 20 percent. They form in residuum weathered from acid fissile shale. Elevation is 3,200 to 5,000 feet. The annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 51 degrees F. Frost-free season is 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Graner, Grummit, Tentative Louviers, and the Tentative Maggin soils. These soils lack argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is blue grama, western wheatgrass, cacti, buffalo grass, some scattered ponderosa pine, and scrub oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Wyoming. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Crook County, Wyoming, 1978.