LOCATION DOOLEY             MT+ND UT
Established Series
RER-CJH
12/2002

DOOLEY SERIES


The Dooley series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium or eolian material 20 to 40 inches deep over glacial till or lacustrine deposits. These soils are on uplands and lacustrine areas. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 41 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Dooley fine sandy loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

Ap--0 to 6 inches, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine crumb structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; 1 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)

Bt--6 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; thin continuous clay film on faces of peds and clay bridging between sand grains; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 3 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 18 inches thick)

Bk--15 to 24 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) heavy sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine vertical roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; disseminated lime and common fine soft masses of lime; lime casts on underside of pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)

2BCk--24 to 36 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; small soft masses of lime and lime casts on underside of pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)

2C--36 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium platy; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few roots; few pores; 10 percent pebbles and 1 percent stones; disseminated lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4)

TYPE LOCATION: Sheridan County, Montana; 1,320 feet south and 75 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 33, T.32N., R.58E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil temperature: 40 to 47 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 7 to 15 inches
Control section: argillic horizon
Depth to k horizon: 13 to 26 inches
Depth to glacial till: 20 to 40 inches

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value, dry: 3 or 4
Value, moist: 2 or 3
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture, F2 mm: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Cobbles: 0 to trace
Pebbles: 0 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4

Bt horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value, dry: 4 or 5
Value, moist: 3 or 4
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture, F2 mm: sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Cobbles: 0 to trace
Pebbles: 0 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4

Bk horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value, dry: 4, 5, or 6
Value, moist: 3, 4, or 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture, F2 mm: sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Cobbles: 0 to trace
Pebbles: 0 to 15 percent
calcium carbonate equivalent: 8 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4

2BCk horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value, dry: 5, 6, or 7
Value, moist: 4, 5, or 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture, F2 mm: loam, clay loam, clay, or silty clay
Clay content: 25 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Cobbles: 0 to trace
Pebbles: 0 to 15 percent
calcium carbonate equivalent: 8 to 15 percent
Bulk density, dry: 1.60 to 1.75
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0

2C horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value, dry: 5 or 6
Value, moist: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture, F2 mm: loam, clay loam, clay, or silty clay
Clay content: 25 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Stones: 0 to trace
Cobbles: 0 to trace
Pebbles: 0 to 15 percent
Bulk density, dry: 1.6 to 1.7
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Absarook, Archmesa, Beartooth, Bielenberg, Bookcliff, Burtoner, Clancy, Clasoil, Doughty, Empedrado, Fairfield, Farnuf, Farside, Felor, Greenway, Gurney, Hangdo, Hoppers, Hyalite, Jeffcity, Kokoruda, Livona, Martinsdale, Maudlin, Meagher, Moen, Planohill, Placerton, Reeder, Reedwest, Snakejohn, Sponseller, Trag, Tragmon, Ulrant, Vida, Watne, Watrous, Williams and Yegen series. Absarook, Archmesa, Burtoner, Gurney, Hoppers, Jeffcity, Maudlin, Moen, Planohill and Watrous soils are moderately deep to hard bedrock. Beartooth soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the the Bk horizon. Bielenberg, Bookcliff, Clancy, Snakejohn, Sponseller and Ulrant soils are deep to hard bedrock. Clasoil, Farside and Kokoruda soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the BC or C horizons and do not have carbonates. Doughty and Hyalite soils have more than 40 percent rock fragments in the 2C horizon. Empedrado, Fairfield, Farnuf and Yegen soils lack the high bulk density glacial till at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Felor soils have 2Bk horizons at a depth of 20 to 35 inches. Greenway soils have 2Bt horizons with 35 to 45 percent clay. Hangdo and Tragmon soils lack carbonates above a depth of 40 inches. Livona soils have a lithological discontinuity 2Bt2 above a depth of 20 inches. Martinsdale soils do not have a discontinuity at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Meagher soils have loamy-skeletal material at depths of 20 to 35 inches. Placerton, Reeder and Reedwest soils have paralithic material at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Trag soils are noncalcareous throughout the profile. Vida soils have the base of the argillic horizon above a depth of 10 inches. Watne soils have a calcic horizon. Williams soils have clay loam Bt horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Dooley soils are on uplands and lacustrine beds. Elevations are 2,400 to 4,500 feet. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium or eolian material 20 to 40 inches deep over glacial till or lacustrine deposits. The climate is cool with long cold winters, moist springs, and warm dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches, most of which falls during spring and early in summer. Mean annual temperature is 38 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 100 to 135 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Farnuf, Williams and Yegen soils and the Parshall, Tally and Zahill soils. Williams soils have clay loam B2t horizons. Parshall and Tally soils have less than 18 percent clay in the subsoils. Yegen soils lack contrasting clay loam substrata. Zahill soils have loam or clay loam profiles and ochric epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability in the solum and moderately slow or slow permeability in underlying glacial till or lacustrine material.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly to grow dry farmed small grain. The potential native vegetation is western wheatgrass, needleandthread, and blue grama.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Montana and western North Dakota. The soil is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sheridan County, Montana, 1971.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.