LOCATION NIRLING MT
Established Series
Rev. BDD-JAL-RJS
11/2012
NIRLING SERIES
The Nirling series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium or outwash. These soils are on outwash plains, moraines, stream terraces, flood plains, drainageways and alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 355 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 6.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Oxyaquic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nirling cobbly loam, irrigated pasture (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 15 cm thick)
A2--13 to 25 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 25 cm thick)
Bw--25 to 38 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 15 cm thick)
2C1--38 to 74 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; 50 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0) gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 38 cm thick)
2C2--74 to 152 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; 40 percent gravel and 35 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Granite County, Montana; 180 meters west and 45 meters north of the SE corner of sec. 31, T.10N, R.13W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 5.0 to 8.0 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 38 cm
Depth to a seasonal high water table - 60 to 100 cm
Depth to sandy-skeletal layer - 35 to 46 cm
A1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Clay content: 8 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 60 percent--5 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.2 to 7.3
A2 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--30 to 45 percent gravel, 5 to 25 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.2 to 7.3
Bw horizon
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Texture: sandy loam, coarse sandy loam or loamy sand
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--25 to 50 percent gravel, 10 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.0 to 7.8
2C horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Texture: loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, coarse sand or sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent--25 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.8 to 7.8
COMPETING SERIES:
Cameahwait (MT) - do not have a seasonally high water table
Nestley (MT) - have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the Bw horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - outwash plains, moraines, stream terraces, flood plains, drainageways and alluvial fans
Elevation - 1,095 to 1,890 meters
Slope - 0 to 5 percent
Parent material - alluvium or outwash
Mean annual precipitation - 250 to 500 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 3.5 to 7.5 degrees C.
Frost-free season - 70 to 105 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as pasture, hayland, and irrigated cropland. The potential native vegetation is mainly tall reedgrass, tufted hairgrass, prairie cordgrass, basin wildrye and Nebraska sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Nirling soils are of small extent in mountain valleys of southwestern Montana. MLRAs - 44A, 44B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Granite County, Montana, 1996.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 38 cm (A1, A2, Bw horizons)
Lithologic discontinuity - at 38 cm (2C1 horizon)
Particle-size control section - 25 to 100 cm (Bw, 2C1, part of 2C2 horizons).
Nirling soils have a frigid temperature regime, an ustic moisture regime and an oxyaquic moisture subclass.
Additional Information: Soil interpretation record - MT1400.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.