LOCATION SNAVEE WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Snavee extremely channery loam -- on a east-facing complex convex slope of 15 percent under mixed conifers at a elevation of 4720 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely channery loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots, common medium roots; common very fine and fine, few medium random tubular pores; 65 percent channers; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 centimeters (2 to 7 inches) thick)
Bt--10 to 23 centimeters (4 to 9 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) extremely flaggy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; medium fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots, common medium roots; common very fine and fine, few medium random tubular pores; many faint, common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 65 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 15 centimeters (3 to 6 inches) thick)
Bk--23 to 152 centimeters (9 to 60 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely flaggy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; few very fine and fine random tubular pores; 65 percent flagstones; strongly effervescent, 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, common fine, few medium and coarse irregularly shaped filaments and soft masses of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)
TYPE LOCATION: Platte County, Wyoming; about 11 kilometers (7 miles) south and 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of Glendo; 244 meters (800 feet) west and 183 meters (600 feet) north of the southeast corner of section 19, T. 28 N., R. 67 W. 42 degrees, 23 minutes, 28 seconds north latitude and 104 degrees, 56 minutes, 44 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Continuous accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate: 25 centimeters (10 inches)
Argillic horizon: 10 to 23 centimeters (4 to 9 inches), base is at 23 centimeters (9 inches)
Rock fragments: 15 to 90 percent of the surface
Particle-size control section:
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, predominantly flagstones
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Moisture control section: moist in April, May, and June, dry in some part for six tenths or more of the cumulative days per year when the soil temperature at a depth of 51 centimeters (20 inches) below the soil surface is higher than 5 degrees C. (41 degrees F.) in most years
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C. (47 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit)
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam modified by 15 to 70 percent flagstones, cobbles, channers, or pebbles
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam modified by 15 to 70 percent flagstones, cobbles, channers, or pebbles
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue of 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam modified by 50 to 70 percent channers, cobbles or flagstones
Calcic horizon: 5 to 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Espiritu,
Tsezhin,
Wauquie and
Wetoe series. Espiritu, Tsezhin and Wauquie soils have the base of the argillic horizon at depths greater than 10 inches, have more than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section and have soil temperature greater than 50 degrees.
Wetoe soils are not calcareous.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: hills
Parent material: colluvium derived from hard limestone
Slopes: 10 to 30 percent
Elevations: 1219 to 1676 meters (4,000 to 5,500 feet)
Mean annual precipitation: 30 to 38 centimeters (12 to 15 inches), half of which falls as rain and snow from the end of March through June
Mean annual air temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C. (45 to 47 degrees F.)
Frost-free period: 110 to 130 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Sunup,
Mitchell,
Deight,
Glendo, and
Thirtynine soils.
Sunup soils are shallow.
Mitchell, Deight, Glendo, and Thirtynine soils have particle size control sections that have less than 15 percent rock fragments.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: well drained
Runoff: medium to rapid
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderately high
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are utilized for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat.
The native vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine, needleandthread, western wheatgrass, and little bluestem.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Snavee soils occur in southeast Wyoming. The series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Platte County (Platte County Area soil survey) Wyoming; 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches) (A)
Argillic horizon: 10 to 23 centimeters (4 to 9 inches) (Bt)
Calcic horizon: 23 to 152 centimeters (9 to 60 inches) (Bk)
Soil moisture regime: Aridic subgroup of the ustic
SIR- WY1350
LRR - G
The classification was changed from Aridic Argiustolls to Aridic Haplustalfs in 12/94.
Modified format by LRM in 3/2006 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.