LOCATION DONEY MT+UT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Doney loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
Ap--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--4 to 14 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots, many fine and very fine pores; few fine masses and threads of lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
Bk--14 to 25 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; very weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine pores; 10 percent sandstone and siltstone pebbles; few to common threads of lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (9 to 22 inches thick)
Cr--25 to 60 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) semiconsolidated interbedded sandy and silty sedimentary beds that crush to loam; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Fergus County, Montana; about 1,000 feet west and 917 feet north of the SW corner of sec. 30, T. 19 N., R. 14 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 41 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches.
Soil phases - gravelly; very gravelly.
Ap horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, or 3
Texture: loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, or silt loam
Clay content: 10 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 55 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles; 0 to 45 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Uncultivated areas have a thin A horizon, the value is 5 or 6 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist; chroma is 1, 2, or 3.
Bw horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles; 0 to 25 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent.
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
Bk horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6, 7 or 8 dry; 5, 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles; 0 to 20 percent pebbles and channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0
Cr horizon - semiconsolidated interbedded sandy and silty sedimentary beds
COMPETING SERIES:
Arikara (ND) - does not have a paralithic contact.
Broadus (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact.
Eaglewing (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact.
Macar (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact.
Mara (NM) - does not have a paralithic contact.
Slategoat (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - sedimentary plains; escarpments; hills.
Elevation - 2,900 to 5,400 feet. It ranges up to 6,200 feet in the foothills of the mountains.
Slope- 2 to 90 percent.
Parent material - residuum and colluvium from semiconsolidated interbedded sandy and silty sedimentary beds.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 12 to 19 inches. It ranges up to 20 inches in the foothills of the mountains.
Mean annual air temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 90 to 135 days. It ranges down to 70 days in the foothills of the mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderate permeability. Runoff is very low to high depending on slope.
USE AND VEGETATION: Doney soils are used mainly for rangeland. Potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, silver sagebrush, green sagewort, lupine, and phlox.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Doney soils are of moderate extent in central and eastern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Big Horn County, Montana, 1970.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation records: MT0238, MT1029, MT0740.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soils to a depth of 7 inches (after mixing) (Ap and Bw horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 4 to 14 inches (Bw horizon); layer of carbonate accumulation - the zone from 14 to 25 inches (Bk horizon); paralithic contact - at 25 inches (Cr horizon). The Doney soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.