LOCATION CARTEN MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Oxyaquic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Carten loam, cropland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many very fine discontinuous irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick)
Bw--7 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine discontinuous irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bk--9 to 13 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 25 percent pebbles; disseminated lime, common distinct lime casts on undersides of pebbles; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8) gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
BC--13 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent cobbles, 35 percent pebbles; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
2C--16 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many fine irregular pores; 15 percent cobbles, 35 percent pebbles; few fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) redox concentrations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Deer Lodge County, Montana; 2,950 feet north and 1,900 feet west of the SE corner of sec. 30, T. 6 N., R. 9 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 41 to 46 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 15 inches.
Depth to water table - 24 to 42 inches.
Depth to K horizon - 9 to 13 inches.
Depth to 2C horizon - 12 to 20 inches.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent--0 to 15 percent cobbles; 0 to 45 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bw horizon - Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles; 0 to 30 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Bk horizon - Value: 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 dry; 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chrome: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles; 15 to 30 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
BC horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--5 to 15 percent cobbles; 30 to 45 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
2C horizon - Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loamy sand or sand
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 80 percent--10 to 25 percent cobbles; 30 to 55 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Windlass (MT) - does not have horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - glacial outwash plains; alluvial fans; stream terraces; flood plains.
Elevation - 3,600 to 6,000 feet.
Slope- 0 to 4 percent.
Parent material - loamy alluvium that is 12 to 20 inches over sand and gravel.
Mean annual precipitation - 10 to 19 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 39 to 44 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 110 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; moderately slow permeability above the 2C horizon and rapid in the 2C horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Carten soils are used mainly for pastureland and hayland. Potential native vegetation is mainly tall reedgrass, tufted hairgrass, prairie cordgrass, basin wildrye, and Nebraska sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Carten soils are of small extent in mountain valleys of Western Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Powell County, Montana, 1995. Series proposed in Deer Lodge County, Montana, 1984.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT1107. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the surface to 9 inches (Ap, Bw horizons); a horizon of calcium carbonate accumulation from 9 to 13 inches (Bk horizon); a lithologic discontinuity at 16 inches (2C horizon); a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (Bk, BC, 2C horizons). Carten soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data S91MT-039-1031.