LOCATION BATTLEBUTTE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, frigid, shallow Typic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Battlebutte gravelly loam, rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 2 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
A2--2 to 8 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons--7 to 11 inches thick.)
Bw1--8 to 13 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel, 10 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bw2--13 to 19 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist, massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; 20 percent gravel, 50 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Cr--19 inches; semiconsolidated welded tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Sanders County, Montana; 250 feet west and 900 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 14, T. 24 N., R. 24 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 41 to 45 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 16 inches.
Control section - 10 to 27 percent clay.
Rock fragments - 10 to 35 percent rock fragments.
Depth to Cr horizon - 10 to 20 inches.
Soil phases - HIGH PPT
A horizons - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Clay content: 10 to 27
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent--15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent paragravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Bw1 horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4, 5, 6, or 7 dry; 3, 4, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, 4, or 6
Clay content: 10 to 27
Rock fragments: 15 to 75 percent--10 to 30 percent gravel, 5 to 45 percent paragravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Bw2 horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 7.5YR
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, 4, or 6
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 50 to 90 percent--10 to 30 percent gravel, 40 to 60 percent paragravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform- dissected hills.
Slope - 4 to 80 percent.
Elevation - 2,900 to 4,400 feet.
Parent material - colluvium and residuum derived from semiconsolidated welded tuff.
Climate - cold winters; moist springs; hot, dry summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 22 inches, most of which falls as rain or snow in late fall through late spring.
Mean annual temperature - 39 to 46 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 75 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Battlebutte soils are used for range, pasture, and woodland. The potential native plant community is mainly rough fescue, Idaho fescue, Bluebunch wheatgrass, forbs, and shrubs. Woodland areas are dominated by a ponderosa pine overstory and a bunchgrass understory.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Battlebutte soils are of limited extent in the north end of Hotsprings Valley of northwestern Montana. MLRA 43A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanders County, Montana, 1997.
REMARKS: Soil interpretations record: MT1218. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 13 inches (A and Bw1 horizons); a cambic horizon from 13 to 19 inches (Bw2 horizon); a paralithic contact at a depth of 19 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons). Battlebutte soils have a xeric moisture regime and a frigid temperature regime.