LOCATION COMETCRIK MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Cumulic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cometcrik loam, in grassland (colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many fine and very fine pores; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (9 to 18 inches thick)
Bw--12 to 24 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dry, redox concentrations; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; many very fine and common fine pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 18 inches thick)
Cg--24 to 42 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; common fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dry, redox concentrations; massive; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 30 inches thick)
2Cg--42 to 58 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loamy coarse sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 30 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
3Cg--58 to 60 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam consisting of fine strata of very fine sandy loam and silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry, redox concentrations; massive; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Montana; 2,000 feet north and 2,100 feet west of the SE corner of sec. 13, T. 7 N., R. 4 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 38 to 44 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 24 to 60 inches.
Depth to seasonal high water table - 12 to 24 inches during the spring and early summer.
Depth to 2Cg horizon - 40 to 60 inches.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Bw horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Redox concentrations - few to common; Hue 5YR or 7.5YR; Value 4, 5 or 6 dry; Chroma 4 or 6
Texture: loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Cg horizon - Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Redox concentrations - few to common; Hue 5YR or 7.5YR; Value 4, 5 or 6 dry; Chroma 4 or 6
Redox depletions: none to few; faint to distinct; Hue - 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; Value - 2, 2.5 or 3; Chroma - 0 or 1
Texture: loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
2Cg horizon - Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry; 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3
Redox concentrations - none to few; Hue 5YR or 7.5YR; Value 4, 5 or 6 dry; Chroma 4 or 6
Texture: coarse sand, loamy coarse sand or coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent clay
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
3Cg horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry, 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Redox concentrations - few to common; Hue 5YR or 7.5YR; Value 5 or 6 dry; Chroma 4 or 6
Texture: stratified textures ranging from fine sandy loam to silty clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 30 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
COMPETING SERIES:
Eagleton (MT) - does not have a lithologic discontinuity.
Kovich (UT) - has a skeletal lithologic discontinuity in particle-size control section; has moderately slow permeability.
Larkpark (MN) - does not have a lithologic discontinuity.
Lobe (CO) - does not have a lithologic discontinuity.
Mannixlee (MT) - has skeletal material below a depth of 40 inches.
Marshbrook (SD) - does not have a lithologic discontinuity.
Nythar (MT) - does not have a lithologic discontinuity.
Welch (NV) - has a high component of vitric pyroclastic materials in the particle-size control section; has a water table at or near the surface in late winter and early spring; does not have redox concentrations in the mollic epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - flood plains, flood plain steps and drainageways.
Elevations - 4,600 to 6,000 feet.
Slopes- 0 to 8 percent.
Parent material - alluvium derived from mixed sources.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 19 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 36 to 42 degrees F.
Frost free period - 70 to 105 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cometcrik soils are primarily used for grass hay, pasture and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly tall reedgrass, mannagrass, American sloughgrass, tuffed hairgrass, sedges, rushes, blue-eyedgrass and willows.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Cometcrik soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Montana, 1998.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Record: MT1501. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 42 inches (A, Bw and Cg horizons); a particle size control section from 10 to 40 inches (A, Bw and Cg horizons). Cometcrik soils have a frigid temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime.