LOCATION ROARINGLION MT
Established Series
Rev. EMR/JMS/RJS
07/2013
ROARINGLION SERIES
The Roaringlion series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium or outwash over fine tertiary sediments. These soils are on outwash fans, fan remnants and eroded fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 35 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 350 mm and mean annual air temperature is about 6.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Roaringlion loam, in rangeland on a 10 percent slope at 1,103 meters elevation (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise indicated).
A--0 to 25 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 30 cm thick)
2Bt1--25 to 33 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure; firm, hard, moderately sticky and very plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; common faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist clay films on ped faces and along pore linings; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary.
2Bt2--33 to 43 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; very firm, very hard, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist clay films on ped faces; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of 2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons - 22 to 64 cm)
2C1--43 to 56 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; firm, very hard, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary.
2C2--56 to 79 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; firm, hard, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few very fine irregular and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of 2C1 and 2C2 horizons - 20 to 76 cm)
2C3--79 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular and interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Victor topographic quadrangle, Ravalli County, Montana; 120 meters north and 260 meters west of the SE corner of section 31, T. 9 N., R. 20 W. UTM Zone 11: 718379e, 5152165n, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 5.0 to 8.0 degrees C
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 30 cm
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 14 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 20 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones and boulders
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.5
2Bt1 horizon
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, sandy clay, or clay
Clay content: 22 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent--0 to 20 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5
2Bt2 horizon
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 34 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5
2C1 and 2C2 horizon(s)
Value: 6 or 7; dry
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 24 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.6
2C3 horizon (absent in some pedons)
Texture: sandy loam or loamy sand
Clay content: 0 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent--15 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.6
COMPETING SERIES:
Alder (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Bacbuster (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Bigbear (MT) - have a calcic horizon
Billman (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Charo (NM) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Darret (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Durston (MT) - have a calcic horizon
Microy (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Mishakal (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Pino (NM) - are deep to a lithic contact
Turkeysprings (NM) - have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Wilcoxson (NM) - are deep to a lithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - outwash fans, fan remnants and eroded fan remnants
Elevation - 1,000 to 1,200 meters
Slope - 2 to 35 percent
Parent material - alluvium or outwash over tertiary sediments
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers
Mean annual precipitation - 330 to 430 millimeters, much of which falls as snow and as spring rain
Mean annual air temperature - 4.0 to 7.0 degrees C
Frost-free period - 80 to 105 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow to slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Roaringlion soils are primarily used for dry-land pasture; vegetation is chiefly mixed grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Roaringlion soils are of small extent in the valleys of western Montana. MLRA - 44A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bitterroot Valley Area, Montana, 2013; proposed in Ravalli County, Montana, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 25 cm (A horizon);
Argillic horizon - from 25 to 43 cm (2Bt1 & 2Bt2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 25 to 43 cm (2Bt1 & 2Bt2 horizons)
Roaringlion soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.