LOCATION WORLAND            WY+MT
Established Series
CJH-PSD
08/2004

WORLAND SERIES


The Worland series consists of well drained soils that are moderately deep to calcareous sandstone. They formed in residuum and colluvial slopewash weathered from the underlying bedrock. Worland soils are on hill footslopes, backslopes, and ridge shoulders and summits or crests. Slopes are 0 to 35 percent and both simple and complex. The mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches, and the mean annual air temperature is about 45 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Worland sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)

A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)

AC--4 to 10 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

C--10 to 30 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 26 inches thick)

Cr--30 to 60 inches; unweathered, calcareous sandstone interbedded with thin lenses of discontinuous, hard sandstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming; 1,450 feet west and 660 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 6, T.3N., R.2E., Wind River Meridian and Base Line.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock and the paralithic contact is typically 25 to 34 inches but ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to uniformly calcareous material is typically 1 to 5 inches but ranges from 0 to 10 inches. The particle size control section is sandy loam or fine sandy loam with 8 to 18 percent clay and more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand. Exchangeable sodium percentage ranges from 2 to 15 percent. Rock fragments consist of 0 to 15 percent sandstone channers throughout the soil. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 52 degrees F.

The A horizon has hue of 5Y, 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. Reaction is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. EC is less than 2 mmhos.

The AC or Bw horizon has hue of 5Y, 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. Reaction is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. EC is less than 4 mmhos. This horizon is absent or indistinct in some pedons.

The C horizon has hue of 5Y, 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 4 to 15 percent and is typically disseminated. A nondiagnostic Bk horizon may be present in some pedons. Gypsum ranges from 0 t 4 percent. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Apron, Fang, Fruitland, Ganaflan, Geer, Jeddito, Jenrid, Kumiva, Marcou, Mazuma, Moepitz, Piltdown, Shotnick, Sodaspring, Tooele, Trachute, Vanderhoff and Wentridge series. Apron, Fang, Fruitland, Geer, Jeddito, Jenrid, Kumiva, Marcou, Mazuma, Piltdown, Shotnick, Sodaspring, Tooele, Trachute soils are very deep. Ganaflan soils have tufa fragments in the control section and are moderately deep to tufa bedrock. Moepitz soils have hue to 2.5YR or 5YR throughout and have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Vanderhoff soils have loam, silt loam, or very fine sandy loam particle-size control sections and developed in material high in ash or tuff. Wentridge soils have precipitation that falls evenly throughout the year and have a lithic contact at depths of 30 to 50 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Worland soils are on erosional footslopes, backslopes, shoulders, and summits of rolling hills and ridges. These soils formed in residuum and colluvial slopewash weathered from soft, calcareous sandstone. Elevation is 3,800 to 6,300 feet. The mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches and ranges from 5 to 9 inches of which about half falls as rain or snow in April, May, and early June. The mean annual air temperature ranges from about 43 to 47 degrees F. The frost-free season is estimated to range from about 110 to 140 days depending upon elevation, aspect, and air drainage.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Apron soils and the Enos, Oceanet, Persayo and Wallson soils. Enos soils have argillic horizons. They occur on more stable surfaces. The Oceanet and Persayo soils have a paralithic contact at 20 inches or less. Wallson soils are very deep, have argillic horizons, and occur on more stable surfaces.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists of needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, big sagebrush, and winterfat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Basin areas in central and northern Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado

SERIES ESTABLISHED: The Basin Area, Wyoming; 1928.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.