LOCATION BANDY MT
Established Series
Rev. ADI/JMS/JCK
05/2012
BANDY SERIES
The Bandy series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium. These soils are on stream terraces, flood plains, and drainageways. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 432 mm, and mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bandy loam, in pasture (colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 18 cm; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
A--18 to 25 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizons is 25 to 50 cm)
AC--25 to 36 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) moist redox concentrations; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)
C--36 to 152 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) moist redox concentrations; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Granite County, Montana; 1,400 feet south and 1,800 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 24, T. 11 N., R. 15 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 5 to 8 degrees C
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 50 cm
Depth to seasonal high water table: 30 to 60 cm
It is assumed that enough active ferrous iron occurs in the lower part of the A, AC, and upper part of the C horizons, when aquic conditions are present to give positive reactions to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl.
Some pedons have a thin moderately decomposed organic layer at the surface and some pedons have a thin Bw below the A horizon.
Ap (or A1) horizon:
Value: 2 or 3 moist; 3 or 4 dry
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 35 percent gravel; 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.0 to 7.8
A (or A2) horizon:
Value: 2 or 3 moist; 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 12 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--5 to 35 percent gravel; 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.0 to 7.8
AC horizon (where present):
Value: 2 or 3 moist
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 5 to 18
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--5 to 35 percent gravel; 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.0 to 7.8
C horizon:
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--30 to 50 percent gravel; 5 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.0 to 7.8
COMPETING SERIES:
Gas Creek (CO+WY) - have horizons of strong gleying and redox features throughout; have a lithologic discontinuity
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: stream terraces, flood plains, and drainageways
Elevation: 975 to 1,890 meters
Slope: 0 to 4 percent
Parent material: alluvium
Climate: long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers
Mean annual precipitation: 254 to 483 mm
Mean annual air temperature: 4 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free period: 70 to 110 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; moderately rapid permeability to 36 cm and very rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: Bandy soils are used mainly for pasture; some areas are used for hayland. Vegetation is mainly tall reedgrass, mannagrass, tufted hairgrass, willow, and mountain rush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bandy soils are of small extent in mountain valleys of western Montana. MLRA 43B, 44A, 44B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gallatin County, Montana, 1997. Series proposed Granite County, Montana, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Mollic epipedon - from the soil surface to 25 cm (Ap and A horizons)
Redox concentrations - from 25 to 152 cm (AC and C horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 25 to 100 cm (AC and C horizons)
Bandy soils have a frigid temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime.
This description reflects an update in classification from Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy skeletal, mixed, frigid Typic Endoaquolls to Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Typic Endoaquolls.
Additional information: soil interpretations record MT1485.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.