LOCATION CHINASPRINGS MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, frigid Vitrandic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Chinasprings gravelly sandy loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) gravelly ashy sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--6 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few medium tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bk--20 to 44 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; few medium tubular pores; 25 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; common fine masses of lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 inches thick)
BCk--44 to 58 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; few medium tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; common fine masses of lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 inches thick)
Cr--58 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) semiconsolidated tuff that crushes to silt loam.
TYPE LOCATION: Silver Bow County, Montana; UTM Zone 12: 370135e, 5100020n, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature - 41 to 46 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 15 inches
Depth to argillic horizon - 6 to 12 inches
Depth to Cr horizon - 40 to 60 inches
A horizon - Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: ashy sandy loam or ashy loam
Clay content: 12 to 24 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent--5 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 2 percent stones
Bulk density: 1.15 to 1.35 g/cc
AOE Al + 1/2 Fe: 0.2 to 0.4 percent
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.0
Bt horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: ashy sandy clay loam, ashy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent--10 to 20 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones
Bulk density: 1.35 to 1.45 g/cc
AOE Al + 1/2 Fe: 0.2 to 0.4 percent
Volcanic glass: 40 to 50 percent
Reaction: pH 6.4 to 7.8
Bk horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: ashy sandy loam, ashy coarse sandy loam or ashy sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent--15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones
Bulk density: 1.35 to 1.45 g/cc
AOE Al + 1/2 Fe: 0.2 to 0.4 percent
Volcanic glass: 40 to 50 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.4
BCk horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: ashy coarse sandy loam, ashy sandy loam, or ashy loam
Clay content: 6 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 40 percent--15 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones
Bulk density: 1.35 to 1.45 g/cc
AOE Al + 1/2 Fe: 0.2 to 0.4 percent
Volcanic glass: 40 to 50 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
This is the Carett series. Carett soils are moderately deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform- alluvial fans, hills, and escarpments
Elevation - 5,100 to 6,100 feet.
Slope - 2 to 30 percent.
Parent material - volcanic ash influenced alluvium.
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 12 to 16 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 40 to 43 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Travona series. Travona soils do not have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Chinasprings soils are used mainly for rangeland. Potential native vegetation is chiefly mixed grasses, such as bluebunch wheatgrass, rough fescue and Idaho fescue with some areas of widely scattered Douglas fir.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Chinasprings soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Silver Bow County, Montana, 2007.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the surface to 7 inches (A horizon); an argillic horizon from 6 to 20 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons); a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation from 20 to 58 inches; a paralithic contact at 58 inches (Cr horizon); a particle size control section from 6 to 20 inches (Bt horizon). Chinasprings soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.