LOCATION CRYSTALEX MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Lamellic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Crystalex loamy coarse sand, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inch; undecomposed and slightly decomposed forest litter. (1 to 2 inches thick)
E1--1 to 10 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; slightly acid (ph 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
E2--10 to 22 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loamy coarse sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; slightly acid (ph 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
E and Bt1--22 to 38 inches; E part (80 percent) is light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loamy sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist, Bt part (20 percent) is brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist, broken discontinuous lamellae 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick parting to weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid (ph 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
E and Bt2--38 to 60 inches; E part (60 percent) is light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loamy sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist, Bt part (40 percent) is brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist, broken discontinuous lamellae 3/8- to 1/2-inch thick parting to weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and few coarse roots; common faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (ph 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Montana; 1,600 feet east and 300 feet north of the SW corner of sec. 19, T. 27 N., R. 27 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 8 and 24 inches.
E horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: ph 5.6 to 7.3
E and Bt horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: E part 6 or 7, Bt part 5 or 6 dry; E part 4 or 5, Bt part 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: Bt part 5 to 10 percent, E part 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: ph 5.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Anoka (MN) - has Bt horizon above the E and Bt horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform- stream terraces, outwash terraces and outwash plains.
Elevation - 3,300 to 4,200 feet.
Slope - 0 to 60 percent.
Parent material - wind-modified alluvium and/or outwash.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm, dry summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 24 to 30 inches, much of which falls as snow and spring rains.
Mean annual air temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, moderately rapid or rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Crystalex soils are used for woodland, understory grazing, and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, western larch, lodgepole pine, grand fir, and Engelmann spruce. Understory vegetation consists mainly of pinegrass, huckleberry, forbs, and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Crystalex soils are of small extent in the valleys of northwestern Montana. MLRA 44A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Montana, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Albic horizon and ochric epipedon - from 1 to 22 inches (E1, E2 horizons);
Argillic horizon composed of lamellae - from 22 to 60 inches (E and Bt1, E and Bt2 horizons);
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches (E2, E and Bt1, E and Bt2 horizons).
Crystalex soils have a frigid temperature regime and a udic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil interpretation record: MT1356; Laboratory data S92MT-053-004.