Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Location:Montana, Wyoming, United States
IUCN Category:V
Area:36,286 acres (14,684 hectares)
Species:All  Endangered  Invasive
Website:View website
Climate:View Climate Data
Land Use:View Land Use Data
Köppen climate classification:BSk (Climate: arid; Precipitation: steppe; Temperature: cold arid)

Ecoregions

Montana Valley and Foothill grasslands
South Central Rockies forests
Wyoming Basin shrub steppe

Soils

Protected Area Boundary
 AB
   
Share70 %30 %50 %30 %10 %10 %
Soil TypeAlbic LuvisolsOrthic PodzolsCalcaric RegosolsLuvic XerosolsOrthic SolonetzEutric Fluvisols
Topsoil TextureMediumCoarseMediumMediumMediumMedium
Reference Depth100 cm100 cm100 cm100 cm100 cm100 cm
DrainageModerately wellSomewhat excessiveModerately wellModerately wellModerately wellPoor
Available Water Capacity150 m100 m150 m150 m150 m150 m
Topsoil Properties
Gravel10 %4 %17 %4 %6 %4 %
Sand37 %85 %43 %58 %47 %39 %
Silt44 %11 %35 %18 %28 %41 %
Clay19 %4 %22 %24 %25 %20 %
USDA TextureLoamLoamy sandLoamSandy clay loamLoamLoam
Reference Bulk Density1.41 g/cm³1.73 g/cm³1.4 g/cm³1.42 g/cm³1.39 g/cm³1.41 g/cm³
Bulk Density1.42 g/cm³1.36 g/cm³1.4 g/cm³1.56 g/cm³1.53 g/cm³1.36 g/cm³
Organic Carbon0.82 %2.09 %0.77 %0.5 %0.66 %0.9 %
PH64.587.38.17.3
Clay Cation Exchange Capacity53 cmol kg⁻¹98 cmol kg⁻¹40 cmol kg⁻¹47 cmol kg⁻¹46 cmol kg⁻¹62 cmol kg⁻¹
Soil Cation Exchange Capacity14 cmol kg⁻¹10 cmol kg⁻¹17 cmol kg⁻¹12 cmol kg⁻¹16 cmol kg⁻¹16 cmol kg⁻¹
Base Saturation83 %16 %100 %98 %100 %91 %
Total Exchangeable Bases16.3 cmol kg⁻¹2.5 cmol kg⁻¹31.1 cmol kg⁻¹15.9 cmol kg⁻¹21.1 cmol kg⁻¹16.4 cmol kg⁻¹
Calcium Carbonate0 %0 %15 %3.8 %5.8 %1 %
Calcium Sulphate0 %0 %0 %0 %0 %0 %
Exchangeable Sodium1 %1 %2 %2 %13 %2 %
Electrical Conductivity0.1 dS m-10.1 dS m-10.3 dS m-10.1 dS m-10.6 dS m-10.1 dS m-1
Subsoil Properties
Gravel19 %5 %18 %3 %8 %8 %
Sand33 %84 %38 %54 %40 %41 %
Silt35 %11 %36 %17 %27 %38 %
Clay32 %5 %26 %29 %33 %21 %
USDA TextureClay loamLoamy sandLoamSandy clay loamClay loamLoam
Reference Bulk Density1.32 g/cm³1.7 g/cm³1.36 g/cm³1.38 g/cm³1.33 g/cm³1.4 g/cm³
Bulk Density1.58 g/cm³1.51 g/cm³1.52 g/cm³1.56 g/cm³1.58 g/cm³1.39 g/cm³
Organic Carbon0.39 %0.59 %0.53 %0.3 %0.29 %0.4 %
PH6.34.88.17.88.57.5
Clay Cation Exchange Capacity56 cmol kg⁻¹63 cmol kg⁻¹50 cmol kg⁻¹37 cmol kg⁻¹57 cmol kg⁻¹58 cmol kg⁻¹
Soil Cation Exchange Capacity21 cmol kg⁻¹4 cmol kg⁻¹15 cmol kg⁻¹12 cmol kg⁻¹19 cmol kg⁻¹14 cmol kg⁻¹
Base Saturation89 %23 %100 %100 %100 %97 %
Total Exchangeable Bases18.1 cmol kg⁻¹1.6 cmol kg⁻¹41.1 cmol kg⁻¹22.1 cmol kg⁻¹35.7 cmol kg⁻¹15.1 cmol kg⁻¹
Calcium Carbonate0 %0 %15 %9 %7.4 %3.9 %
Calcium Sulphate0 %0 %0 %0 %0.1 %0 %
Exchangeable Sodium1 %2 %1 %3 %39 %3 %
Electrical Conductivity0.1 dS m-10.1 dS m-10.3 dS m-10.2 dS m-12.7 dS m-10.1 dS m-1
Soil data provided by FAO/IIASA/ISRIC/ISSCAS/JRC, 2012. Harmonized World Soil Database (version 1.2). FAO, Rome, Italy and IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria.
Köppen climate classification provided by Kottek, M., J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel, 2006: World Map of Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification updated. Meteorol. Z., 15, 259-263