LOCATION CATLINSPRINGS MT

Tentative Series
IRD. EMM/SPV
04/2011

CATLINSPRINGS SERIES

The Catlinsprings series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in colluvium or residuum derived from argillite, sedimentary or fine-grained igneous rocks. These soils are on mountain slopes, hills, ridges and escarpments. Slopes are 4 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 430 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 3 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Lithic Haplocryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Catlinsprings channery loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A--0 to 12 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) channery loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 20 percent channers and 1 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 20 cm thick)

Bw--12 to 28 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very channery loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular and irregular pores; 55 percent channers and 2 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

R--28 cm; hard, strongly cemented argillite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Meagher County, Montana; Catlin Springs topographic quadrangle. UTM 12T, 0500969E, 5135606N.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 2 to 4 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 35 cm
Depth to a lithic contact - 25 to 50 cm

Note: Some pedons may have a BC horizon.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 3 to 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam
Clay content: 14 to 26 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 50 percent--15 to 50 percent channers or gravel, 0 to 15 percent flagstones or cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.6

Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 70 percent--40 to 65 percent channers or gravel,
0 to 15 percent flagstones or cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.6

COMPETING SERIES:
Arrowpeak (MT) - has a udic soil moisture regime
Betemer (CO) - has an ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic
Cheadle (MT) - has a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Chokecherry (ID) - has a xeric moisture regime
Clamp (OR) - has a xeric moisture regime
Dalys (MT) - is very shallow to a lithic contact
Dollarhide (ID) - has a xeric moisture regime
Eyre (CO) - does not have a Bw horizon
Irigul (WY) - does not have a Bw horizon
Irson (WY) - does not have a Bw horizon
Jonlake (NV) - has a xeric moisture regime
Labshaft (NV) - has a mean annual soil temperature of 6 to 8 degrees C.
McCadden (UT) - has a horizon with secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Poin (MT) - has sandy loam and coarse sandy loam textures througout
Rogert (CO) - does not have a Bw horizon
Schwacheim (CO) - has a udic soil moisture regime
Starley (WY) - has a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Topeki (NV) - has a xeric moisture regime
Trump (CO) - has a horizon with secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Udel (NV) - is very shallow to a lithic contact

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountain slopes, hills, ridges and escarpments
Elevation - 1600 to 1900 meters
Slope - 4 to 70 percent
Parent material - colluvium or residuum derived from argillite, sedimentary or fine-grained igneous rocks
Climate - cool with long, cold winters; moist springs; cool summers
Mean annual precipitation - 380 to 600 millimeters
Mean annual air temperature - 1 to 4 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 50 to 70 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bangtail and Spanpeak series. Bangtail soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact, have an argillic horizon. Spanpeak soils are very deep and have an argillic horizon. Bangtail and Spanpeak soils occur on similar landforms to Catlinsprings.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Catlinsprings soils are used mainly for rangeland and as wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Columbia needlegrass, Idaho fescue, and forbs. Some areas have sparse stands of limber pine or Douglas-fir.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Catlinsprings soils are of minor extent in mountain ranges in north-central and southwestern Montana. MLRA 43B.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES PROPOSED: Meagher, Montana, 2011. The name is from the Catlinsprings USGS Topographic Quadrangle.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 28 cm (A and Bw horizons)
Lithic contact - the contact with argillite bedrock at 28 cm (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 0 to 28 cm (A and Bw horizons)

Catlinsprings soils have a cryic soil temperature regime and an ustic soil moisture regime.

Taxonomic version: Eleventh Edition, 2010.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.