LOCATION DUTTON MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Torrertic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dutton silty clay loam, in cropland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and very fine granular structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many unstained sand and silt grains; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong fine and medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and very fine subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; many fine and very fine and few medium tubular pores; continuous prominent clay films on faces of peds; common pressure faces; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--14 to 17 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and very fine angular and subangular blocky; extremely hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many fine and very fine and few medium tubular pores; continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; common pressure faces; 5 percent pebbles; few faint lime coatings on pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bk1--17 to 27 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium blocky; extremely hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many fine and very fine and few medium tubular pores; few very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) coatings on faces of prisms; common fine and medium masses and threads of segregated lime; 5 percent pebbles; few faint lime coatings on pebbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
2Bk2--27 to 30 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very channery loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many fine and very fine and few medium tubular pores; 65 percent channers; common distinct lime coatings on channers; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
3Bk3--30 to 36 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; 10 percent shale fragments; many very fine masses of segregated lime; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Cr--36 to 64 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine and medium platy shale interbedded with 1 to 3 inch thick layers of hard sandstone, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common fine masses and threads of lime between plates and in fine cracks; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9).
TYPE LOCATION: Cascade County, Montana; approximately 2,320 feet east and 1,520 feet north of the SW corner of sec. 30, T. 22 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Depth to paralithic contact - 20 to 40 inches.
Depth to Bk horizon - 11 to 20 inches.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 30 to 40 percent
Warm and cool phases are recognized.
Bt horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 45 to 60 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Bk horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 40 to 50 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0
2Bk, 3Bk horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, clay loam, clay, silty clay loam, or silty clay
Clay content: 20 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 70 percent--0 to 5 percent flagstones, 0 to 65 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
EC: 2 to 4 mmhos/cm
SAR: 2 to 13
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.5
COMPETING SERIES: These area the Ethridge, Linnet, Patouza, and Sofia series. These soils are very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Dutton soils are on fan terraces and glaciated outwash plains. Elevations are 2,400 to 4,300 feet. These soils formed in lacustrine materials or in residuum from semiconsolidated shale or interbedded shale and sandstone. The climate is characterized by long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; and short, dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches. Mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 105 to 135 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Dutton soils are used mainly for nonirrigated cropland and rangeland. The potential native vegetation is mainly western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, forbs, and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East of the Rocky Mountains in northern Montana. The soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Power-Dutton Project in Teton County, Montana, 1938. Type location changed to Cascade County, Montana.
REMARKS: Soil interpretations record: MT0091. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 7 inches (Ap, Bt horizons mixed); an argillic horizon from 6 to 14 inches (Bt horizon); a particle-size control section from 6 to 14 inches (Bt horizon); and a paralithic contact at 36 inches. Dutton soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime that borders on aridic.