LOCATION REDCREEK WY+MT UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Lithic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Redcreek fine sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; light reddish brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common fine roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
AC--4 to 10 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C--10 to 15 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; common fine roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
R--15 inches; hard sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Sweetwater County, Wyoming; 2 miles northwest of Red Creek Ranch in the SW1/4, NE1/4 of sec. 28, T. 13 N., R. 104 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth of hard sandstone is 4 to 20 inches. The soils are commonly calcareous throughout, but some pedons are leached a few inches. Sandstone channers range from 0 to 35 percent. The average annual soil temperature is 44 to 46 degrees F., and the average summer soil temperature is 59 to 65 degrees F.
The A horizon and AC horizons, if present, have hue of 2.5Y through 5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. They are mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
2- Redcreek Series
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy loam and may be modified with channers. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. The Thermopolis series is similar. Thermopolis soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 10 to 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Redcreek soils are on mountain sides, ridges, and uplands. Slopes range from 2 to 30 percent. Elevations are 6,300 to 7,800 feet. These soils formed in residuum partially reworked by wind and weathered from loamy calcareous sandstone. The mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 15 inches. The frost-free period is 60 to 105 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Redwash and Thermopolis soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is big sagebrush, shadscale, Sandberg bluegrass, needleandthread grass, prickly pear, and barrel cactus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Redcreek soils are of moderate extent to southwestern Wyoming and northwestern Colorado.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Blanco County, Colorado; 1979.
REMARKS:
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.