LOCATION CHANTA ND+MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Chanta loam--native grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky and granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--6 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and fine prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine angular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many pores; few faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist clay films on faces of prisms; few pebbles; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--14 to 22 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and fine prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--22 to 26 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few pebbles; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bw horizons 10 to 32 inches thick)
2Bk--26 to 29 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very gravelly sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; single grain; loose; about 40 percent rock fragments; carbonates coat pebbles and occur as masses on undersides of pebbles; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
2C--29 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; single grain; loose; about 30 percent rock fragments; carbonates coat undersides of pebbles; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Bowman County, North Dakota; 2,375 feet east and 50 feet south of northwest corner, sec. 13, T. 132 N., R. 107 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to carbonates ranges from 16 to 30 inches and depth to sand and gravel ranges from 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry and 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It typically is loam and less commonly silt loam or clay loam and ranges from slightly acid to neutral. The content of rock fragments ranges from 0 to 15 percent.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam, silt loam or clay loam with a clay content averaging between 20 and 30 percent. Layers of sandy loam less than 5 inches thick are allowed in the lower part. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. The lower part is calcareous in some pedons. The content of rock fragments ranges from 5 to 20 percent.
The 2Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2. It is sand or coarse sand containing 15 to 70 percent rock fragments. It is moderately or strongly alkaline. Layers of very gravelly loam less than 5 inches thick are allowed in some part. Some pedons have a Bk horizon up to 5 inches thick above the 2Bk horizon. It has a hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2. It is loam or clay loam.
The 2C horizon has hue of 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2. It is sand or coarse sand containing 15 to 60 percent rock fragments. It is slightly to strongly alkaline. It is noncalcareous in some pedons. Some pedons have thin strata of loamy sand, coarse sandy loam or gravelly loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Cetrack series. Cetrack soils have a Bw horizon less than 10 inches thick and have a calcic Bk horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Chanta soils commonly are on level to steep stream terraces. Slope gradients are typically less than 2 percent, but range from 0 to 30 percent. The Chanta soils formed in alluvium that is loamy in the upper part and sand and gravel in the lower part. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period ranges from 110 to 130 days. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 16 inches. More than two-thirds of the moisture falls in the spring and summer. The elevation ranges from 2000 to 3500 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chinook, Havre, Kremlin, Marmarth, Rhame and Tinsley soils. Chinook and Kremlin soils are on adjacent nearly level alluvial fans. They do not have sand and gravel 2C horizons. Havre soils are on stream flood plains. They do not have a mollic epipedon. Marmarth and Rhame soils are on nearby uplands. Marmarth soils have an argillic horizon. Rhame soils have a paralithic contact within depths of 20 to 40 inches. Tinsley are on edges of steep terraces and hills. They have sand and gravel at depths of less than 14 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow or medium. Permeability is moderate in the upper part and rapid in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Chanta soils are used for small grains and feed crops in summer-fallow crop systems, and for range and pasture. Native vegetation is mid and short prairie grasses such as blue grama, needleandthread, prairie junegrass and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern North Dakota, eastern Montana and possibly extreme northwestern South Dakota. The soil is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bowman County, North Dakota, 8/69.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 14 inches (A and Bw1 horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 14 to 26 inches (Bw2 and Bw3 horizons); aridic subgroup criteria - value of 5 dry in the upper part of the mollic epipedon (A horizon).