LOCATION RENOHILL WY+CO MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Renohill clay loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and fine roots; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
BA--4 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) heavy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 14 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and medium roots; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining root channels and pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
Btk--14 to 20 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak coarse angular and subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate occurs in common soft masses and filaments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 16 inches thick)
Bk--20 to 30 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate occurs as common soft masses and threads; about 5 percent soft shale chips; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Cr--30 to 60 inches; soft, calcareous shale with thin lenses of sandstone at 40 and 50 inches.
TYPE LOCATION: Campbell County, Wyoming; 300 feet south and 2,330 feet west of the northeast corner of section 21, T.46 N., R.70 W. Neil Butte Quadrangle. 43 degrees 57 minutes 25 seconds north latitude and 105 degrees 16 minutes 11 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock and the paralithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 12 to 28 inches. Depth to carbonates ranges from 10 to 20 inches. Rock fragments are typically less than 5 percent but may range from 0 to 15 percent. The majority of the rock fragments are soft and break down upon pretreatment. The mean annual soil temperature is about 47 to 53 degrees F., and the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 41 degrees F. or more for 175 to 192 days.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is clay loam, fine sandy loam or loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 5. Texture is clay or heavy clay loam with 35 to 50 percent clay. EC is less than 2 mmhos. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline. This horizon is typically noncalcareous throughout but may be effervescent immediately above the Btk horizon.
The Btk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is clay, clay loam, silty clay loam or silty clay with 35 to 50 percent clay. Secondary carbonates range from 3 to 12 percent. EC ranges up to 4 mmhos/cm. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 6. Texture is clay loam, clay, silty clay loam or silty clay with 28 to 42 percent clay. Secondary carbonates range from 5 to 15 percent. EC ranges up to 4 mmhos/cm. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The Cr horizon consists of soft, effervescent shale interbedded with thin lenses of sandstone or siltstone. In some pedons the bedrock is noneffervescent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Agua Fria, Arp, Bacid, Bessemer, Falfa, Manzanola, Mughouse, Rencalson, Ulm, Winklo and Wyarno series. The Agua Fria, Bacid, Bessemer, Falfa, Manzanola, Ulm and Wyarno soils are deep or very deep. The Agua Fria and Winklo soils have hue of 7.5YR or 5YR in the Bt horizon. The Arp and Mughouse soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Rencalson soils are noncalcareous throughout.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Renohill soils are on bedrock controlled plateaus, alluvial fans, hills and ridges. They formed in alluvium, colluvium and residuum derived from calcareous shale. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevations are 3,500 to 6,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches most of which falls as snow and rain in April, May, and early June. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 43 to 47 degrees F. The frost-free period is 105 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Ulm soils and the Bidman, Cushman, Forkwood, Nuncho, Parmleed, Platmak, Samday, Savageton and Silhouette soils. Bidman and Parmleed have greater than 15 percent increase of clay within 1 vertical inch between the E and Bt horizons. Cushman and Forkwood have fine-loamy particle-size control sections. Nuncho and Platmak have mollic epipedons. Samday soils have bedrock above 20 inches. Savageton and Silhouette soils have cambic horizons and are calcareous throughout. Bidman, Forkwood, Nuncho, Platmak, Silhouette and Ulm soils occur on backslope and footslopes of hills and ridges. Cushman, Parmleed, Samday, and Savageton soils occur on similar positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to high runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat with small areas cultivated to small grains or hay. Native vegetation consists of western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, blue grama and scattered big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Wyoming, Colorado and Montana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Johnson County, Wyoming; 1933.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 4 inches (A)
Argillic horizon - 7 to 20 inches (Bt,Btk)
Paralithic contact - 30 inches (Cr)
SIR- WY1074
MLRR- G