LOCATION KALSTED MT
Established Series
Rev. JB-KTS-RJS
04/2011
KALSTED SERIES
The Kalsted series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in calcareous alluvium, colluvium or eolian material. These soils are on alluvial fans, fan remnants, eroded fan remnants, stream terraces, hills and escarpments. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 43 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Calciustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kalsted sandy loam, cultivated (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--7 to 11 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine pores; 5 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bk1--11 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and continuous distinct calcium carbonate coatings on surface of gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 23 inches thick)
Bk2--30 to 54 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, stratified with thin lenses of loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; continuous distinct calcium carbonate coatings on surface of gravel, and many fine and medium masses of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 30 inches thick)
BC--54 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, stratified with common thin lenses of loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine vesicular pores; 20 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Madison County, Montana; approximately 1,400 feet south and 1,700 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 18, T. 5S., R. 4W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 40 to 47 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon - 3 to 12 inches
Ap horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam or loamy sand
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Bw horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam or loamy sand
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Bk1 horizon
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam stratified with thin strata of loam, very fine sandy loam, and silt loam (more than 50 percent fine and coarser sand)
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Bk2 horizon
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam stratified with more than 50 percent fine and coarser sand
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--5 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
BC horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam or loamy sand with more than 50 percent fine and coarser sand
Clay content: 0 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 20 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Amesha (MT) - have less than 50 percent fine and coarser sand in the particle-size control section
Lakebench (CO) - have hues of 7.5YR or redder
Redbull (WY) - deep to a paralithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - alluvial fans, fan remnants, eroded fan remnants, stream terraces, hills and escarpments
Elevation - 3,500 to 6,500 feet
Slope - 0 to 70 percent
Parent material - calcareous alluvium, colluvium or eolian material
Climate - cool, with long cold winters; moist springs; short, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation - 10 to 14 inches
Mean annual air temperature - 38 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free season - 70 to 120 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated and dryland grain production, irrigated pasture and hay, and rangeland. The potential native vegetation is mainly needleandthread, bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, prairie sandreed, and thickspike wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kalsted soils are moderately extensive in the valleys of Madison, Beaverhead, and Jefferson counties in Montana. MLRAs - 43B, 44B, 58A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Madison County Area, Montana, 1983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 7 inches (Ap horizon)
Calcic horizon - from 11 to 54 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches (part of Bw, Bk1, part of Bk2 horizons)
Kalsted soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime that borders on aridic.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil interpretation record - MT0597.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.