LOCATION BELAIN MT
Established Series
Rev. NRS-CNG-EMM
06/2012
BELAIN SERIES
The Belain series consists of moderately deep, well drained loamy soils that formed in residuum weathered from igneous rock and alluvium or colluvium over bedrock. These soils are on alluvial fans, hills, bedrock-floored plains, and mountains. Slopes are 2 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Belain loam, grassland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--4 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many fine and medium pores; about 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--11 to 15 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many pores; about 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw3--15 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many pores; about 30 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Bw horizons is 13 to 32 inches thick)
Bk--22 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; about 35 percent gravel; few distinct lime coats on underside of gravel; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
R--28 inches; igneous bedrock; fractured in upper few inches, with soil in cracks and few lime coats on fragments.
TYPE LOCATION: Blaine County, Montana; 400 feet west and 300 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 29, T. 27 N., R. 18 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 40 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 8 and 24 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 16 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches.
Depth to Bk horizon - 16 to 30 inches.
Values of 4 dry and 3 moist below a depth of 16 inches are lithochromic from the parent material.
A horizon - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay control: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
Bw horizons - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 35 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Bk horizon - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Rock fragments: 15 to 45 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles, 15 to 40 percent gravel
Lime coats or casts: few to common; faint to prominant
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Baggs (MT) - do not have a lithic contact.
Baxton (MT) - paralithic at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Bitterroot (MT) - paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Burnt Fork (MT) - do not have a lithic contact.
Chincap (WY) - have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the control section and do not have carbonate coated gravel above the bedrock.
Hopley (MT) - paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Kalispell (MT) - do not have a lithic contact.
Losttrail (MT) - do not have a lithic contact.
Mott (ND) - do not have a lithic contact.
Relan (MT) - are very deep and are stratified below a depth of 30 inches.
Tally (MT) - do not have a lithic contact.
Tinytown (CO) - do not have a lithic contact.
Unaweep (CO) - do not have a lithic contact.
Vebar (ND) - paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Victor (MT) - are sandy-skeletal at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Weedzunit (MT) - do not have horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - hills; mountains; alluvial fans; bedrock-floored plains.
Elevation - 3,000 to 6,000 feet.
Slope - 2 to 60 percent.
Parent material - residuum weathered from basic igneous rocks and in alluvium and colluvium over bedrock.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 14 to 19 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Belain soils are used mainly for range, dryland farming, and irrigated hayland. Potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, rough fescue, green needlegrass, needleandthread, prairie junegrass, threadleaf sedge, goldenpea, lupine, and other shrubs and forbs. Low density stands of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir occur in some areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Belain soils are of small extent in the mountains in central Montana. MLRA's 43B, 44B, 46 and 58A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Blaine County, Montana, 1974.
REMARKS: Soil interpretations record: MT0171.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from the soil surface to 11 inches (A, Bw1 horizons);
Cambic horizon - from 11 to 22 inches (Bw2, Bw3 horizons);
Horizon of carbonate accumulation - from 22 to 28 inches (Bk horizon); Lithic contact - at 28 inches (R horizon).
Belain soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data S69MT-5-5.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.