LOCATION SWEETLETTE WY
Tentative Series
DPG/DJP/CBR
05/2020
SWEETLETTE SERIES
The Sweetlette series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium or colluvium over residuum weathered from sandstone and shale. These soils are on cuestas, escarpments, hillslopes, and structural benches. Slopes are 1 to 30 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 205 mm and mean annual air temperature is about 4.5 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sweetlette channery loam in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) channery loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, soft, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 25 percent channers; finely disseminated carbonate; strongly effervescent; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 cm thick)
Btk1--8 to 22 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) channery loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular structure; very friable, soft, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; 10 percent clay films; 2 percent carbonate masses on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
Btk2--22 to 65 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) channery clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular structure; friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 30 percent channers; 15 percent clay films; finely disseminated carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk1 and Btk2 horizons 35 to 100 cm)
Bk--65 to 95 cm; pale olive (5Y 6/3) very channery clay loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; moderate fine subangular structure; friable, slightly hard, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 35 percent channers; finely disseminated carbonate; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 35 cm thick)
BCk--95 to 115 cm; pale olive (5Y 6/3) very channery clay loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; massive; friable, slightly hard, very sticky, very plastic; 40 percent gravel; finely disseminated carbonate; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8). (0 to 70 cm thick)
Cr--115 cm; sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Sublette County, Wyoming; USGS La Barge topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees 17 minutes 28 seconds north latitude, 110 degrees 6 minutes 45 seconds west longitude, datum WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3.5 to 8.0 degrees C
Depth to argillic--2 to 6 cm
Depth to paralithic contact--100 to 150 cm
Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content--19 to 31 percent
Total rock fragments--2 to 34 percent
A horizon
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--2 to 4
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, sandy loam
Clay content--10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 30 percent-0 to 30 percent gravel, 20 to 30 cobbles, 20 to 30 percent channers
Reaction--pH 7.0 to 7.6
Bt horizon (when present)
Hue--10YR to 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content--18 to 32 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 15 percent-0 to 15 percent gravel, 5 to 15 percent cobbles, 5 to 15 channers
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 8.2
Btk horizon(s)
Hue--10YR to 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content--20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 35 percent-0 to 35 percent gravel, 20 to 35 cobbles, 20 to 35 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 14 percent
Reaction--pH 7.8 to 8.6
Bk horizon (when present)
Hue--10YR to 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--clay loam , sandy clay loam, loam
Clay content--17 to 35 percent
Rock fragments-15 to 45 percent-15 to 45 percent gravel, 15 to 45 percent cobbles, 15 to 45 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 14 percent
Reaction--pH 7.9 to 8.8
BCk horizon(s)
Hue--10YR to 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--clay loam, silty clay loam
Clay content--27 to 35 percent
Rock fragments--1 to 60 percent-1 to 50 percent gravel, 35 to 60 percent paragravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 14 percent
Reaction--pH 7.8 to 8.8
COMPETING SERIES:
Alcova (WY)--soils are very deep
Almy (WY)-- soils are very deep
Bateson (WY)-- soils are very deep
Bluerim (WY)--soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact
Diamondville (WY)--soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact
Forelle (WY)-- soils are very deep
Juel (WY)--soils have secondary salt accumulations
Maysprings (CO)-- soils are very deep
Satanka (WY)--soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact
Simanni (CO)-- soils are very deep
Taffom (WY)-- soils are very deep
Zagpeed (WY)--deep to paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--Cuestas, escarpments, hillslopes, and structural benches
Elevation--1,980 to 2,230 meters
Slope--1 to 30 percent
Parent material--Slope alluvium or colluvium over residuum weathered from sandstone and shale
Climate--long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, warm summers
Mean annual precipitation--175 to 250 mm
Mean annual air temperature--2.5 to 7.0 degrees C
Frost-free period--50 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: well drained; 1.5 to 5 um/sec
USE AND VEGETATION: Sweetlette soils are primarily used for grazing. The potential native vegetation is Wyoming big sage, thickspike wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, and other perennial grasses, forbs, and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sweetlette soils are of small extent in western Wyoming; MLRA 34A
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Sublette County, Wyoming, 2019. The Sweetlette series name is a coined phrase.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--0 to 8 cm (A horizon)
Argillic horizon--8 to 65 cm (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section--8 to 58 cm (Btk1 and part of the Btk2 horizon)
Sweetlette soils have a frigid temperature regime and an aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
Taxonomic version: Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.