LOCATION ZEOMONT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, frigid Ustic Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Zeomont loamy sand on an 8 percent undulating slope under rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; mildly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
C--7 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots to 40 inches; mildly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming; 2,500 feet west, 250 feet north of SW corner of sec. 11, T. 29 N., R. 92 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to free carbonates is 40 inches or more. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 42 to 47 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature ranges from 59 to 64 degrees F. The moisture control section is dry in all parts for at least 60 consecutive days and 90 cumulative days from July 15 to November 15. The particle size control section is sand or loamy sand exclusive of loamy very fine sand. The sand fraction is most commonly fine or medium sand. Reaction is neutral through moderately alkaline throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is loamy sand or sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Lamarsh, Tusler, Yetull, and Zeona series. Lamarsh soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Tusler soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Yetull soils are commonly calcareous throughout and always calcareous above 36 inches. They occur in areas with more moist summers and have longer growing seasons. Zeona soils are more moist and are not dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 consecutive days and for 90 cumulative days between July 15 and November 15.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zeomont soils are on stabilized dunes and rolling upland plains. Slopes are complex and slope gradients range from 2 to 35 percent. The soils formed in noncalcareous, wind-deposited sandy material. The mean annual temperature is about 39 to 45 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 10 to 16 inches of which about half falls as snow or rain in April, May, and early June. The frost-free season is estimated to range from 90 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bluerim, Onason, Relsob, Rock River, Ryark, Ryan Park, and Tisworth series. All of these soils are fine textured and have Bt horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; runoff is slow; permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Native rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is needleandthread, needleleaf sedge, prairie junegrass, canby bluegrass, prairie sandreed, Indian ricegrass, thickspike wheatgrass, rabbitbrush, and silver sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Wyoming. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County, Wyoming, East Part; 1985.