LOCATION WILEY CO+NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Wiley silt loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--4 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
Btk--10 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard , firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few medium masses of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)
BCk--18 to 23 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium masses of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
C--23 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Colorado; about 2050 feet east and 150 feet south of the NW corner of Sec. 22, T. 7 S., R. 56 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 49 to 59 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 70 to 75 degrees F.
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 12 to 40 inches.
Depth to visible calcium carbonate: 7 to 24 inches.
Exchangeable sodium percentage ranges: 0 to 15 percent.
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent.
Ap horizon: (A horizon in some pedons)
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Btk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent above 30 inches.
BCk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
C horizon: (Bk horizon in some pedons)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: , 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam, loam
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the
Altega (NM),
Amal (NM),
Buick (CO),
Chita (NM),
Elpedro (NM),
Keiser (MT), Klinedray (WY),
Moncha (NM),
Oshoto (WY),
Pulpit (CO),
Roubideau (CO),
Sharps (CO),
Verde (CO) and the
Wetherill (NM) soils.
Altega and Amal soils: are dry in
May and June.
Buick soils: formed in polylithologic material in which a younger soil is superimposed over a paleosol.
Chita soils: have calcic horizons above 40 inches and are dry in May and June.
Empedro and Wetherill soils: are greater than 40 inches to the base of the argillic horizon.
Keiser soils: have average clay content of 34 to 43 percent.
Klinedraw and Sharps soils: have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Moncha soils: have hues of 5YR and redder.
Oshoto soils: have mean annual soil temperatures colder than 53 degrees F. and are moist March to June.
Pulpit, Roubideau, and Verde soils: have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: plains, hills, ridges, terraces, and valley side slopes.
Slopes: range from 0 to 20 percent.
Parent material: thick, calcareous loess and eolian material.
Elevation: 4,000 to 6,500 feet.
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 17 inches, with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and summer.
Mean annual temperature: 47 to 53 degrees F.
Mean summer temperature is 68 to 76 degrees F.
Frost free period: 120 to 175 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Baca and Colby soils. Baca soils have more than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Colby soils do not have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low or medium runoff; moderate through slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as grazing land and as dry or irrigated cropland. Native vegetation is blue grama, western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, buffalo grass, and needleandthread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Colorado. LRR G, MLRA 67; The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Colorado; about 2050 feet east and 150 feet south of the NW corner of Sec. 22, T.24S., R.56W.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon: the zone from 0 to 4 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 4 to 18 inches. (Bt and Btk horizons)
Remarks: The 3/94 revision documents a change in class from Ustollic Haplargids to Aridic Haplustalfs. The 12/99 revision reflects a change in type location to Lincoln County, Colorado in order to be in MLRA 67.
Modified in January 2002 by Lee Neve to update competing series and associated soils.
Taxonomic Version: Second Edition, 1999.