LOCATION ELISPRING MT
Established Series
Rev. EW-KTS-RJS
01/2012
ELISPRING SERIES
The Elispring series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium or slope alluvium over residuum weathered from red limestone conglomerate. These soils occur on hills, ridges and mountain slopes. Slopes range from 8 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 460 mm, and the mean annual temperature is about 3 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Calcic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Elispring loam, in rangeland, on a 22 percent slope, at an elevation of 2213 meters (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 25 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (25 to 40 cm thick)
Bt1--25 to 38 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 60 percent distinct clay films on faces of peds and on surface of fragments; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--38 to 64 cm; red (10R 4/6) clay loam, dusky red (10R 3/4) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 30 percent faint continuous clay films on faces of peds, in root channels, and on rock fragments; 10 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizons - 25 to 61 cm)
Btk--64 to 76 cm; red (10R 5/6) clay loam, weak red (10R 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 25 percent faint continuous clay films on faces of peds, in root channels, and on rock fragments; 10 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate, 5 percent very fine soft masses of calcium carbonate, violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)
Bk--76 to 91 cm; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 20 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate, 15 percent very fine soft masses of calcium carbonate, violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)
R--91 to 152 cm; red limestone conglomerate of the Beaverhead formation.
TYPE LOCATION: Beaverhead County, Montana; Eli Spring topographic quadrangle. UTM 12T, 0343165e., 4993684n., NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 3 to 5 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 25 to 40 cm
Depth to top of argillic horizon - 25 to 40 cm
Depth to calcic horizon - 35 to 100 cm
Depth to a lithic contact - 50 to 100 cm
A horizon
Hue: 5YR 2.5YR or 10R; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent--0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 7.2 to 7.8
Bt horizons
Hue: 5YR, 2.5YR or 10R; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 8 dry; 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8; dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent--0 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 7.2 to 7.8
Btk horizon
Hue: 5YR, 2.5YR or 10R; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 8 dry; 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8; dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent--5 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
Bk horizon
Hue: 5YR, 2.5YR or 10R; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 8 dry; 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, loam or clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent--10 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: pH 8.0 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Accola (MT) - is very deep
Gebson (CO) - is very deep
Glentivar (CO) - is deep to a paralithic contact
Madigan (MT) - does not have hues redder than 7.5YR
Michelson (MT) - is very deep
Monida (ID) - is very deep
Morset (CO) - is very deep
Northorn (CO) - is very deep
Oro Fino (MT) - is very deep
Philipsburg (MT) - is very deep
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - hills, ridges and mountain slopes
Elevation - 1950 to 2600 meters
Slope - 8 to 50 percent
Parent Material - colluvium or slope alluvium over residuum weathered from red limestone conglomerate
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; short summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 380 to 560 mm
Mean annual temperature - 3 to 5 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 30 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Elispring soils are used as native rangeland. Native vegetation is mainly mountain grasses and forbs dominated by big bluegrass, Idaho fescue, Columbia needlegrass, mountain big sagebrush, lupine species, arnica longifolia, arrowleaf balsamroot and sticky geranium.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Montana. This series is of small extent. MLRA - 43B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Horse Prairie-South Valley Area - Part of Beaverhead County, Montana, 2011; proposed in Beaverhead County, Montana, 2008.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 25 cm (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - from 25 to 76 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon - from 76 to 91 cm (Bk horizon)
Lithic contact - at 91 cm (R horizon)
Particle size control section - from 25 to 75 cm (upper 50 cm of the argillic horizon -- Bt1, Bt2, part of Btk horizons)
Elispring soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.