LOCATION BLAINE MT+CO WY
Established Series
Rev. GFB-KTS-EMM
07/2012
BLAINE SERIES
The Blaine series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from igneous rock, conglomerate, hard shale or sandstone. These soils are on escarpments, hills, ridges, cuestas and mountain slopes. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 17 inches and mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Blaine gravelly loam, rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; 35 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--4 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and on coarse fragments; 35 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Bk1--10 to 16 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very gravelly loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; 30 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; many films and soft masses of calcium carbonate and calcium carbonate casts on undersides of fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--16 to 24 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) very gravelly loam, olive (5Y 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; 35 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; few soft masses of calcium carbonate and many thin calcium carbonate casts on undersides of fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.
R--24 inches; fractured igneous bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Broadwater County Area, Montana; 1,200 feet south and 600 feet west of the center of sec. 10, T. 5 N., R. 1 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 38 to 42 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 15 inches
Depth to top of argillic horizon - 3 to 10 inches
Depth to lithic contact - 20 to 40 inches
Note: Some pedons may have a Cr horizon above the R horizon at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 80 percent--0 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 45 percent cobbles and stones
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 22 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--25 to 55 percent gravel, 5 to 30 percent cobbles and stones
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bk horizons
Hue: 10YR through 5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 8 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent--25 to 60 percent gravel, 5 to 35 percent cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Anniesdraw (WY) - is very deep
Bassel (CO) - is deep to a paralithic contact
Bowen (CO) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Fingerrock (CO) - is very deep
Fornor (WY) - is very deep
Fourmile (CO) - is very deep
Fornor (WY) - is very deep
Geertsen (UT) - is deep to a lithic contact
Hoodle (UT) - is very deep
Hungryhill (MT) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Lagarita (CO) - is very deep
Lambe (CO) - is very deep
Libeg (MT) - is very deep
Nathale (WY) - has more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand in the Bt horizon; formed in interbedded limestone and sandstone
Nathrop (CO) - has a BA horizon
Norriston (CO) - is very deep
Quander (CO) - is deep or very deep
Ratiopeak (MT) - is very deep
Silverheels (CO) - is very deep
Spanpeak (MT) - is very deep
Woodhall (CO) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - escarpments, hills, ridges, cuestas and mountain slopes
Elevation - 4,000 to 7,500 feet
Slope - 0 to 60 percent
Parent material - colluvium and residuum derived from igneous rock, conglomerate, hard shale or sandstone
Climate - long cold winters, cool, moist springs; short summers
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 23 inches
Mean annual temperature is 36 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 30 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cheadle and
Rootel soils. Cheadle soils are shallow to a lithic contact. Rootel soils have a calcic horizon and do not have a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Blaine soils are used mainly for rangeland. Potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, needleandthread, blue grama, forbs, and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Blaine soils are of moderate extent in central and southwestern Montana. MLRAs - 43B, 44B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Northern plains of Montana (Reconnaissance), 1929.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 10 inches (A and Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 4 to 10 inches (Bt horizon)
Horizons of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - from 10 to 24 inches (Bk horizons)
Lithic contact - at 24 inches (R horizon)
Particle-size control section from 4 to 24 inches (Bt, Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Blaine soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
Additional Data: Soil Interpretations Records: MT0051, MT0501 and MT9052.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.