LOCATION SWEATLODGE WYTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Typic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sweatlodge coarse sandy loam, on a northeast aspect, convex, 7 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 5,760 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on June 26, 1995, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain, loose, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots and common medium roots; noneffervescent; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bt--2 to 5 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots and common medium roots; many medium interstitial and tubular pores; few distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bk--5 to 11 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots and common medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium interstitial and tubular pores; few irregular masses of carbonates throughout; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
Cr--11 to 60 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming; about 6 miles north of Ethete; about 1,600 feet west and 1,500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 32, T. 2 N., R. 1 E.; USGS Ethete, Wyoming topographic quadrangle; 43 degrees 6 minutes 28.5 seconds north latitude and 108 degrees 46 minutes 56.1 seconds west longitude, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section: The soil moisture control section is, in normal years, dry in all parts for more than half of the cumulative days per year when the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches from the soil surface is above 41 degrees F. and moist in some or all parts for less than 90 consecutive days when the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is above 46 degrees F. Aridic (torric) moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 51 degrees F.
Particle size control section:
Clay content - 5 to 20 percent clay but averages less than 18 percent clay
Sand content - Greater than 35 percent fine sand and coarser
Coarse fragment content - 0 to 10 percent gravel
Depth to argillic horizon - 1 to 3 inches
Depth to calcic horizon - 4 to 7 inches
Depth to paralithic contact - 10 to 19 inches
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist
Clay content: 7 to 15 percent
Texture: Loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam or very fine sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.0 to 8.0, neutral to moderately alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Clay content: 15 to 20 percent
Texture: Coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, loam or sandy clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.2 to 8.0, neutral to moderately alkaline
Btk horizon (when present):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry or moist
Clay content: 15 to 20 percent
Texture: Coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, loam or sandy clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent
Reaction: pH 8.2 to 8.4, moderately alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 8 moist
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Texture: Loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, coarse sandy loam or loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4, slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape - Basins
Landform - Hills
Elevation - 5,500 to 6,000 feet
Slope: 0 to 12 percent
Parent material - alluvium or colluvium over residuum derived from sandstone and shale
Mean annual precipitation - 5 to 9 inches, about half falls as rain or snow in April, May and early June
Mean annual air temperature - 43 to 50 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 110 to 135 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Griffy soils are on similar landforms in concave positions; depth to bedrock is greater than 40 inches.
Saddle soils are on similar landforms and positions; depth to bedrock is between 20 and 40 inches.
Oceanet soils are on similar landforms and positions; they do not have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low or medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major use is livestock grazing. The native plant community is needleandthread, Wyoming big sagebrush and silver sagebrush. The ecological site is 032XY266WY - SHALLOW SANDY (5-9WR).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Basin areas of central Wyoming. The series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Fremont County, Wyoming (Wind River Basin Area), 2003. The name is derived from the sweat lodges still used on the Wind River Indian Reservation located on the ridges adjacent to where this soil was described.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 2 to 5 inches. (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 5 to 11 inches. (Bk horizon)
Paralithic contact - Sandstone bedrock at 11 inches. (Cr horizon)
Particle size control section - The zone from 0 to 11 inches. (Bt and Bk horizons)
Sweatlodge soils have a mesic temperature regime and an aridic (torric) moisture regime.