LOCATION TORRINGTON WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Torrington very fine sandy loam--on a west facing slope of one percent, utilized as rangeland. (Colors are for dry unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine, few medium roots; neutral (pH 6.6); clear irregular boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine, few medium roots; common faint clay films bridging sand grains and lining pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--12 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine, few medium roots; common faint clay films bridging sand grains and lining pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
C--19 to 29 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy very fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Cr--29 inches; consolidated, slightly hard, noncalcareous sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Niobrara County, Wyoming; 7.5 miles north of Van Tassel, about 600 feet north and 2100 feet west of the southeast corner of section 6, T.32N., R.60W. Kirtley Quad. 42 degrees 18 minutes 8 seconds north latitude and 108 degrees 21 minutes 55 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Torrington soils are typically noncalcareous, but some pedons may contain few segregated masses of lime above the bedrock. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 20 inches thick. The depth to the base of the argillic horizon is 10 to 31 inches. Rock fragments are typically 0 to 5 percent but range from 0 to 15 percent throughout. These soils are usually dry in some or all parts of the moisture control section for more than 90 days between June 30 and October 30 in most years.
The A horizon has value of 3 to 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is neutral or slightly acid.
The AB or BA horizon, when present, has the same range in characteristics as the A horizon.
The Bt horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Textures include very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam with 10 to 18 percent clay and 50 to 80 percent sand, with greater than 15 percent being fine or coarser. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The C horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Textures are very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy very fine sand with less than 15 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Julesburg, Manter, Mawer and Truckton series. These soils are all deep or very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Torrington soils are on hillslopes, tablelands, benches, and terraces. They formed in residuum and eolian materials derived from noncalcareous fine grained sandstone. Slopes are 0 to 6 percent. Elevations are 4500 to 5500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 17 inches, half of which falls as rain or snow in April, May, and June. The mean annual air temperature is 46 to 50 degrees F. The frost free season is 105 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Julesburg and Manter soils and the Jayem, Lambman, Phiferson and Trelona soils. Jayem soils are greater than 40 inches deep and do not have argillic horizons. Phiferson soils have secondary accumulations of calcium carbonate and do not have argillic horizons. Lambman and Trelona soils have bedrock at less than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, dry and irrigated cropland and hayland. The native vegetation is needleandthread, prairie sandreed, western wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, threadleaf sedge and silver sagebrush. Wheat, oats, alfalfa and short season corn are the principal crops grown under cultivation.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Torrington soils occur in eastern Wyoming. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Niobrara County, Wyoming, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon -- 0 to 12 inches (A,Bt1)
Argillic horizon-- 5 to 19 inches (Bt1,Bt2)
Paralithic contact--29 inches (Cr)
Aridic subgroup--The moisture control section is dry more than 60% of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is 41 degrees F. or higher.
SIR WY1229
MLRR- G