LOCATION FINLEYPOINT MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Finleypoint cobbly loam, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inch; decomposed and undecomposed organic matter.
A1--1 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak and moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; 10 percent subrounded gravel and 10 percent subrounded cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
A2--10 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; 25 percent subangular gravel and 25 percent subangular cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
E--14 to 31 inches; white (10YR 8/1) very gravelly loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; 30 percent subangular gravel and 10 percent subangular cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 45 inches thick)
E/Bw--31 to 43 inches; E part (55 percent); light gray (10YR 7/2) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; B part (45 percent) yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; very gravelly sandy clay loam; weak coarse and moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; 30 percent subangular gravel and 10 percent subangular cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 40 inches thick)
C--43 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 40 percent subangular gravel and 10 percent subangular cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, northwest of Polson, Montana; 2,200 feet north and 2,500 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 12, T. 23 N., R. 21 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 24 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 16 inches.
A1 horizon - Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 dry; 1 moist
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 55 percent--5 to 20 percent stones and cobbles, 5 to 45 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
A2 horizon - Value: 3, 4, or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 60 percent--10 to 30 percent stones and cobbles, 10 to 30 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
E horizon - Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, or 3 dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--10 to 20 percent cobbles and stones, 10 to 40 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
E/Bw horizon - Hue: E part 10YR or 2.5Y; B part 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: E part 6, 7, or 8, B part 5, 6, or 7 dry; E part 5 or 6, B part 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: E part 1, 2, or 3; B part 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--15 to 30 percent cobbles and stones, 20 to 30 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Some pedons have a Bw/E horizon instead of an E/Bw horizon.
C horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--5 to 20 percent cobbles and stones, 30 to 40 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Aguja (NM) - has lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
Flott (MT) - has a calcic horizon.
Kutler (CO) - has a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
Labre (MT) - has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Perma (MT) - has more than 60 percent coarse fragments below 30 inches.
Peso (NM) - has lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
Renegade (UT) - has a paralithic contact at 40 to 60 inches.
Sandia (NM) - has a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches.
Slimbutte (SD) - has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Subwell (MT) - has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Towave (UT) - has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Veatch (CO) - has a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches; has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Vigilante (MT) - has a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches.
Walstead (MT) - has a calcic horizon.
Wanagan (ND) - has a lithologic discontinuity at 14 to 28 inches.
Wimper (MT) - has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - Mountains, hills, and moraines.
Elevation - 2,900 to 5,000 feet.
Slope - 2 to 70 percent.
Parent material - till, glacial drift, or colluvium.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist falls and springs; warm, summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 16 to 25 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 105 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Finleypoint soils are used mainly for production of forest products, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Potential native vegetation is mainly Douglas fir and ponderosa pine with an understory of common snowberry, pinegrass, and mallow ninebark.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Finleypoint soils are of moderate extent in northwestern Montana. MLRA 43A, 44A and 46.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Montana, 1991; proposed in Lake County, Montana, 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 1 to 14 inches (A1, and A2 horizons);
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches below the mineral soil surface (A2, E and E/Bw horizon).
Finleypoint soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
Soil interpretations records: MT0733, MT0734, and MT0929.