LOCATION BLANCHARD MT+NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, frigid Typic Ustipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Blanchard fine sand, in grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; grayish-brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, very dark grayish brown 10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
C--3 to 60 inches; pale-brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots in upper part, few very fine roots in lower part; many very fine pores; slightly effervescent; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Sheridan County, Montana; 1,320 feet east and 1,320 feet north of the southwest corner of section 26 T. 31 N., R. 57 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - Approximately between the depths of 12 and 35 inches.
Control section - 0 to 5 percent clay and less than 50 percent medium and coarse sand.
Depth to lime - 3 to 30 inches.
An AC horizon is allowed.
A horizon - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 3, 4, 5, or 6 dry; 2, 3, or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture, less than 2 mm: loamy fine sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.8
Some pedons have free lime in this horizon.
C horizon - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture, less than 2 mm: fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Some pedons have strata of coarser sands mainly below 36 inches.
COMPETING SERIES:
Beisigl (ND) - has a paralithic contact of sandstone at 20 to 40 inches.
Kenray (NM) - does not have lime above 60 inches.
Seroco (ND) - does not have lime above 30 inches.
Tusler (ND) - has a paralithic contact of sandstone at 20 to 40 inches.
Yecross (SD) - has more than 50 percent medium or coarse sand in the particle-size control section.
Yetull (MT) - is dry in all parts of the moisture control section between four-tenths and five-tenths of the cumulative days per year when the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 41 degrees F. or higher.
Zeona (SD) - does not have lime above 36 inches; has less than 35 percent medium and coarse sand in the particle-size control section.
Zilditloi (AZ) - is noncalcareous in the particle-size control section; has 16 to 20 inches mean annual precipitation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - alluvial fans, stream terraces and hills.
Elevation - 1,800 to 3,200 feet.
Slope- 0 to 80 percent.
Parent material - alluvium or eolian material.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 12 to 16 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 90 to 130 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland and pasture. A few small areas are used for grass or alfalfa hay and limited small grains production. The potential native vegetation is prairie sandreed, little bluestem, sand bluestem, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, big bluestem, shrubs, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Blanchard series is of moderate extent and is distributed in northern and eastern Montana and western North Dakota.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Upper Flathead Valley Area, Montana, 1958.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Records: MT0004, MT1188. Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the soil surface to 7 inches that has mollic colors in the upper 3 inches (A, C horizons); a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (C horizon). Blanchard soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.