LOCATION CHEADLE MT+CO UT WY
Established Series
Rev. DES-KTS-RJS
03/2011
CHEADLE SERIES
The Cheadle series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and/or residuum derived mainly from hard sandstone, but may be underlain by hard phyllitic shale, argillite, quartzite or igneous rock. These soils are on bedrock-floored plains, hills, escarpments, mountains and ridges. Slopes are 2 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 23 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 40 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Lithic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cheadle channery loam, grassland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) channery loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium roots; 25 percent channers; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--7 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely channery loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium roots; 55 percent channers, 10 percent gravel; pockets of disseminated calcium carbonate and calcium carbonate coatings on undersides of rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bk--15 to 19 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely channery loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots in mattings between rock fragments; 55 percent channers, 20 percent gravel; disseminated calcium carbonate and continuous faint calcium carbonate coatings on undersides of fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
R--19 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fractured hard sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Fergus County, Montana; 825 feet west and 1,120 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 29, T. 14 N., R. 18 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 37 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - less than 59 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 16 inches
Rock fragments - mainly sandstone
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate horizon - 7 to 16 inches
Note: Some pedons may have a BC or C horizon below the Bk horizon.
A1 horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR; dry or moist
Value: 3 to 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam or very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent gravel, channers, cobbles and/or stones
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
A2 horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent--10 to 55 percent gravel, 0 to 65 percent channers, cobbles and stones
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Bk horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 7.5YR or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam or coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent--20 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 65 percent channers, cobbles, and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.6
COMPETING SERIES:
Arrowpeak (MT) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Betemer (CO) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Chokecherry (ID) - have a xeric moisture regime
Clamp (OR) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Dalys (MT) - have a lithic contact at depths of less than 10 inches
Dollarhide (ID) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Eyre (CO) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Irigul (WY) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Irson (WY) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Jonlake (NV) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Labshaft (WY) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Mccadden (UT) - have an udic moisture regime
Milling (WA) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Poin (MT) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Rogert (CO) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Schwacheim (CO) - does not have secondary carbonate accumulation
Starley (WY) - have less than 35 percent fine and coarser sand in the control section
Topeki (NV) - does not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Trump (CO) - have an ustic moisture regime bordering aridic.
Udel (NV) - does not have secondary carbonate accumulation
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - bedrock-floored plains, hills, escarpments, mountains and ridges
Elevation - 4,600 to 8,100 feet - in Colorado the elevations range to 9,000 feet
Slope - 2 to 70 percent
Parent material - colluvium and/or residuum derived mainly from hard sandstone, but may be underlain by hard phyllitic shale, argillite, quartzite, or igneous rock. (In Colorado the soils have formed in gneiss and schist.)
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; moist summers
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 30 inches - in Colorado it is as low as 12 inches
Mean annual air temperature - 35 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 50 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cheadle soils are used mainly for native grass range. Potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, fringed sagewort, lupine, Idaho fescue, clubmoss and shrubby cinquefoil.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Cheadle soils are extensive in central Montana and along the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. MLRAs - 43B, 44B, 46, 48A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Central Montana, 1946.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 15 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Horizon of calcium carbonate accumulation - from 15 to 19 inches (Bk horizon)
Lithic contact - at 19 inches (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 19 inches (part of A2 and Bk horizons)
Cheadle soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime that borders on udic.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretations Records - MT0087, MT0841, MT0202.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.