Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Major Land Resource Area 064X
Major Land Resource Area
Accessed: 04/30/2026
Previous
Sections
Next
Next steps
-
1
Select an ecological site
Select an ecological site using the list, keys, photos, briefcase, or quick search option located on this page. -
2
Explore the ecological site description
Next, learn more about the selected ecological site and its characteristic dynamics by browsing the ecological site description and exploring alternative state and transition model formats.
Ecological site list
Tools
Search
Filter by
interactive key
precipitation
frost free days
more..
clear all
Sort by
id
name
stage
Viewing 20 of 31
View all
Ecological site map
Basemap
Topo
Road
Aerial
Hybrid
Find me
Find point
Full screen
Zoom in to display soil survey map units for an area of interest, and zoom out to display MLRAs. Select a map unit polygon to view ecological sites correlated to that map unit. View a brief description of an ecological site by clicking on its name in the map popup. Soil survey correlations may not be accurate, and ecological site classification of a location should always be verified in the field. Each selection may require the transfer of several hundred KB of data.
Briefcase
Add ecological sites and Major Land Resource Areas to your briefcase by clicking on the briefcase (
) icon wherever it occurs. Drag and drop items to reorder. Cookies are used to store briefcase items between browsing sessions. Because of this, the number of items that can be added to your briefcase is limited, and briefcase items added on one device and browser cannot be accessed from another device or browser. Users who do not wish to place cookies on their devices should not use the briefcase tool. Briefcase cookies serve no other purpose than described here and are deleted whenever browsing history is cleared.
Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
Ecological site photos
Tools
Filter by
interactive key
precipitation
frost free days
more..
clear all
Type
Image size
Done
Filters
Interactive key
Precipitation
Frost free days
Elevation
Slope
Landform
Parent material origin
Parent material kind
Soil texture
RUN-OFF LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Upland, normally convex short slopes > 6 percent, Shoulder).
NORMAL LANDSCAPE POSITIONS in Both Precipitation zones (Upland, slopes normally linear, 1-6 percent except Sandy, Sands, and Gravelly sites which can have complex slopes, Back slope, Summit, Foot slope).
RUN-IN LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Bottomlands, Drainageways, Interdunes, etc., not depressions, Toe slope).
OTHER LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Basin, Depression, Normal, Run-off and/or Run-in, All Hillslope Positions except Shoulder).
Is the site on a steep slope, escarpment, river break or slump area (25-60% slope), with exposed bedrock at or near the surface, and soils generally calcareous and of various depths? Deciduous trees and shrub are almost always present on this site.
Yes. Thin Breaks (R064XY050NE) This site is a landscape feature not necessarily correlated to individual soil components.
R064XY050NE – Thin Breaks
R064XY050NE – Thin Breaks
No. Dig hole to a depth of 20 inches minimum. Is there root restrictive layer within 10 inches of the soil surface?
Yes.
No. Is there a root restricting layer within 10-20 inches of the surface?
Very Shallow (R064XY047NE)
R064XY047NE – Very Shallow
R064XY047NE – Very Shallow
Very Shallow HU (R064XY176WY) Hartville Uplift, Wyo.
R064XY176WY – Very Shallow Hartville Uplift
R064XY176WY – Very Shallow Hartville Uplift
No. Is the soil > 20 inches in depth with a thin surface layer (< 3” ) and effervesce at or near the surface (within 6” )?
Yes. Is the soil derived from shale, mudstone, or siltstone, with weathered parachannery fragments between the A and Cr horizon, and the soil is calcareous? The surface texture is Clayey (2-3” ribbon)?
Yes. Thin Upland (R064XY037NE).
R064XY037NE – Thin Upland
R064XY037NE – Thin Upland
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
Yes. Shallow Clayey (R064XY039NE).
R064XY039NE – Shallow Clay
R064XY039NE – Shallow Clay
No. Is the soil 10 to 20 inches thick with a Clay loam, Silty clay loam, Sandy clay loam, or Silty surface texture (1-1.5” ribbon)? or
a Sandy loam or Loamy sand surface texture (0.25-0.5” ribbon)?
Yes.
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
Shallow (R064XY040NE)
R064XY040NE – Shallow
R064XY040NE – Shallow
GX064X01X161 – Shallow Hartville Uplift, Wyo.
R064XY162WY – Shallow Hartville Uplift
R064XY162WY – Shallow Hartville Uplift
Dig hole to 20 inches. Is there a claypan within 16 inches of the surface?
Yes. “See Other Landscape Positions”
No. Skeletal soil with up to 60% coarse gravel, pebbles, cobbles, stone?
No. Determine surface and subsoil texture?
Yes. Gravelly HU (R064XY112WY). Only found in Hartville Uplift (HU) Area of Wyo.
R064XY112WY – Gravelly Hartville Uplift
R064XY112WY – Gravelly Hartville Uplift
Clay or Silty Clay (40 to 55% clay) Surface (1.75 – 3.0” ribbon) with Clayey Subsoil?
Clay or Silty Clay (> 55% clay). ( > 3.0” ribbon)? Bare ground will be common.
Loam, Silt loam, Silty, Clay loam, Sandy clay loam, Very fine sandy loam?
(0.5 – 1.75” ribbon)?
Sandy loam, Fine sandy loam, Loamy very fine sand (0.25-0.5” ribbon)?
Sand, Loamy sand, Loamy fine sand (no ribbon)?
Yes. Determine Precipitation Zone:
Clayey 14-17" PZ
R064XY014NE – Clayey 14-17" PZ
R064XY014NE – Clayey 14-17" PZ
Clayey 17-20" PZ
R064XY035NE – Clayey 17-20 PZ
R064XY035NE – Clayey 17-20 PZ
Yes. Dense Clay (R064XY045NE).
R064XY045NE – Dense Clay
R064XY045NE – Dense Clay
Yes. Is the site an old stream terrace?
No. Determine Precipitation Zone:
Yes. Is the site in the Badlands?
Loamy 14-17" PZ
GX064X01X015 – Loamy 14-17" PZ
GX064X01X015 – Loamy 14-17" PZ
Loamy 17-20" PZ
GX064X01X036 – Loamy 17-20" PZ
GX064X01X036 – Loamy 17-20" PZ
Yes. Badlands Terrace (R064XY048NE).
R064XY048NE – Badlands Terrace
R064XY048NE – Badlands Terrace
No. Loamy Terrace (R064XY028NE).
GX064X01X028 – Loamy Terrace
GX064X01X028 – Loamy Terrace
Yes. Is the site a low stream terrace?
Yes. Sandy Lowland (R064XY029NE).
R064XY029NE – Sandy Lowland
R064XY029NE – Sandy Lowland
No. Is the site in an interdune landscape?
Yes. Interdunal Lowland (See MLRA 65 Sandy Lowland ES).
No. Determine Precipitation Zone:
Sandy 14-17" PZ (R064XY011NE)
R064XY011NE – Sandy 14-17" PZ
R064XY011NE – Sandy 14-17" PZ
Sandy 17-20" PZ (R064XY032NE).
R064XY032NE – Sandy 17-20" PZ
R064XY032NE – Sandy 17-20" PZ
Yes. Sands (R064XY012NE).
R064XY012NE – Sands
R064XY012NE – Sands
No. Re-think Landscape Position and start again.
Observe the soil to a depth of 60 inches.
Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 1-2 feet of the surface and the site is dominated by hydrophytes?
Yes. Is the site very sandy?
Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 2 to 5 feet of the surface?
No. Wet Land (R064XY022NE).
R064XY022NE – Wet Land
R064XY022NE – Wet Land
Yes. Wet Subirrigated (R064XY002NE).
R064XY002NE – Wet Subirrigated
R064XY002NE – Wet Subirrigated
Yes. Does the soil have visible salt crystals within 6 inches?
No. Does water flow into and over/through the site?
Yes. Saline Subirrigated (R064XY025NE).
R064XY025NE – Saline Subirrigated
R064XY025NE – Saline Subirrigated
No. Subirrigated (R064XY024NE).
R064XY024NE – Subirrigated
R064XY024NE – Subirrigated
No. See “Other Landscape Positions”
Yes. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface and permanently moist soil at 4 to 5 feet?
Yes. Saline Lowland (R064XY030NE).
R064XY030NE – Saline Lowland
R064XY030NE – Saline Lowland
No. Is the area in “Badlands”?
Yes. Badlands Overflow (R064XY049NE).
R064XY049NE – Badlands Overflow
R064XY049NE – Badlands Overflow
No. Does the site occasionally flood and have a clayey or silty clay surface texture?
Yes. Clayey Overflow (R064XY027NE).
R064XY027NE – Clayey Overflow
R064XY027NE – Clayey Overflow
No. Does the site occasionally flood and have a Loam, Silt loam, Silty, Clay loam, Sandy clay loam, or Very fine sandy loam surface texture?
Yes. Loamy Overflow (R064XY026NE).
R064XY026NE – Loamy Overflow
R064XY026NE – Loamy Overflow
Dig a hole to 20 inches. Does the soil have a claypan within 16 inches?
Yes. Is it in a closed depression?
No. Is the area in a basin or closed depression with no outlet?
Yes. Closed Depression (R064XY065NE).
R064XY065NE – Closed Depression
R064XY065NE – Closed Depression
No. Is the claypan within 4 inches of the surface?
Yes. Thin Claypan (R064XY046NE).
R064XY046NE – Thin Claypan
R064XY046NE – Thin Claypan
No. Claypan is deeper than 4 inches - Claypan (R064XY044NE).
R064XY044NE – Claypan
R064XY044NE – Claypan
No. Re-think your Landscape Position and start again.
Yes. Does the site pond water briefly after snowmelt or heavy rain or during abnormally wet years?
Yes. Closed Depression (R064XY065NE).
R064XY065NE – Closed Depression
R064XY065NE – Closed Depression
Long term average mean annual precipitation
- No filter
- 35 – 40cm (14 – 16in)
- 40 – 50cm (16 – 20in)
—
cm
Long term average frost free days
- No filter
- 70 – 90days
- 90 – 110days
- 110 – 130days
—
days
- No filter
- 0 – 200m (0 – 700ft)
- 200 – 400m (700 – 1300ft)
- 400 – 600m (1300 – 2000ft)
- 600 – 800m (2000 – 2600ft)
- 800 – 1000m (2600 – 3300ft)
- 1000 – 1200m (3300 – 3900ft)
- 1200 – 1400m (3900 – 4600ft)
- 1400 – 1600m (4600 – 5200ft)
- 1600 – 1800m (5200 – 5900ft)
- 1800 – 2000m (5900 – 6600ft)
—
m
- No filter
- 0 – 3%
- 3 – 5%
- 5 – 10%
- 10 – 15%
- 15 – 20%
- 20 – 25%
- 25 – 30%
- 30 – 35%
- 35 – 40%
- 40 – 45%
- 45 – 50%
- 50 – 60%
- 60 – 70%
- 70 – 80%
—
%
- No filter
- Alluvial fan
- Alluvial flat
- Bench
- Depression
- Drainageway
- Dune
- Escarpment
- Fan
- Flood plain
- Hill
- Hillslope
- Interdune
- Knoll
- Oxbow
- Plain
- Ridge
- Stream terrace
- Terrace
- No filter
- Granite
- Igneous and metamorphic
- Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary
- Limestone and sandstone
- Limestone and siltstone
- Limestone, unspecified
- Metamorphic and sedimentary
- Sandstone and shale
- Sandstone and siltstone
- Sandstone, calcareous
- Sandstone, unspecified
- Sedimentary, unspecified
- Shale and siltstone
- Shale, clayey
- Shale, unspecified
- Siltstone, calcareous
- Siltstone, unspecified
- No filter
- Alluvium
- Colluvium
- Eolian deposits
- Eolian sands
- Loess
- Outwash
- Residuum
Soil surface texture
- No filter
- Clay
- Clay loam
- Fine sand
- Fine sandy loam
- Loam
- Loamy fine sand
- Loamy very fine sand
- Sand
- Silty clay
- Silty clay loam
- Silt loam
- Sandy loam
- Very fine sandy loam
Print Options
Sections
Font
A
A
A
A
Other
Print
Ecological site keys
MLRA 064X - Mixed Sandy & Silty Tablelands & Badlands (Run-off, Run-in, Normal, and Other Landscape Positions).
I.
RUN-OFF LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Upland, normally convex short slopes > 6 percent, Shoulder).
A.
Is the site on a steep slope, escarpment, river break or slump area (25-60% slope), with exposed bedrock at or near the surface, and soils generally calcareous and of various depths? Deciduous trees and shrub are almost always present on this site.
1
Yes. Thin Breaks (R064XY050NE) This site is a landscape feature not necessarily correlated to individual soil components.
... R064XY050NE – Thin Breaks
2
No. Dig hole to a depth of 20 inches minimum. Is there root restrictive layer within 10 inches of the soil surface?
i.
Yes.
b.
Very Shallow HU (R064XY176WY) Hartville Uplift, Wyo.
... R064XY176WY – Very Shallow Hartville Uplift
ii.
No. Is there a root restricting layer within 10-20 inches of the surface?
a.
No. Is the soil > 20 inches in depth with a thin surface layer (< 3” ) and effervesce at or near the surface (within 6” )?
2)
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
b.
Yes. Is the soil derived from shale, mudstone, or siltstone, with weathered parachannery fragments between the A and Cr horizon, and the soil is calcareous? The surface texture is Clayey (2-3” ribbon)?
2)
No. Is the soil 10 to 20 inches thick with a Clay loam, Silty clay loam, Sandy clay loam, or Silty surface texture (1-1.5” ribbon)? or
a Sandy loam or Loamy sand surface texture (0.25-0.5” ribbon)?
a)
Yes.
b)
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
II.
NORMAL LANDSCAPE POSITIONS in Both Precipitation zones (Upland, slopes normally linear, 1-6 percent except Sandy, Sands, and Gravelly sites which can have complex slopes, Back slope, Summit, Foot slope).
A.
Dig hole to 20 inches. Is there a claypan within 16 inches of the surface?
1
Yes. “See Other Landscape Positions”
2
No. Skeletal soil with up to 60% coarse gravel, pebbles, cobbles, stone?
i.
Yes. Gravelly HU (R064XY112WY). Only found in Hartville Uplift (HU) Area of Wyo.
... R064XY112WY – Gravelly Hartville Uplift
3
No. Determine surface and subsoil texture?
i.
Clay or Silty Clay (40 to 55% clay) Surface (1.75 – 3.0” ribbon) with Clayey Subsoil?
a.
Yes. Determine Precipitation Zone:
ii.
Clay or Silty Clay (> 55% clay). ( > 3.0” ribbon)? Bare ground will be common.
iii.
Loam, Silt loam, Silty, Clay loam, Sandy clay loam, Very fine sandy loam?
(0.5 – 1.75” ribbon)?
a.
Yes. Is the site an old stream terrace?
1)
No. Determine Precipitation Zone:
2)
Yes. Is the site in the Badlands?
iv.
Sandy loam, Fine sandy loam, Loamy very fine sand (0.25-0.5” ribbon)?
a.
Yes. Is the site a low stream terrace?
2)
No. Is the site in an interdune landscape?
a)
Yes. Interdunal Lowland (See MLRA 65 Sandy Lowland ES).
b)
No. Determine Precipitation Zone:
v.
Sand, Loamy sand, Loamy fine sand (no ribbon)?
b.
No. Re-think Landscape Position and start again.
III.
RUN-IN LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Bottomlands, Drainageways, Interdunes, etc., not depressions, Toe slope).
A.
Observe the soil to a depth of 60 inches.
Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 1-2 feet of the surface and the site is dominated by hydrophytes?
1
Yes. Is the site very sandy?
2
Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 2 to 5 feet of the surface?
i.
Yes. Does the soil have visible salt crystals within 6 inches?
ii.
No. Does water flow into and over/through the site?
a.
No. See “Other Landscape Positions”
b.
Yes. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface and permanently moist soil at 4 to 5 feet?
2)
No. Is the area in “Badlands”?
b)
No. Does the site occasionally flood and have a clayey or silty clay surface texture?
(2)
No. Does the site occasionally flood and have a Loam, Silt loam, Silty, Clay loam, Sandy clay loam, or Very fine sandy loam surface texture?
IV.
OTHER LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Basin, Depression, Normal, Run-off and/or Run-in, All Hillslope Positions except Shoulder).
A.
Dig a hole to 20 inches. Does the soil have a claypan within 16 inches?
1
Yes. Is it in a closed depression?
ii.
No. Is the claypan within 4 inches of the surface?
2
No. Is the area in a basin or closed depression with no outlet?
i.
No. Re-think your Landscape Position and start again.
ii.
Yes. Does the site pond water briefly after snowmelt or heavy rain or during abnormally wet years?
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
Accessibility statement