LOCATION EINE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Argic Cryaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Eine loam, in rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; very dark brown (10YR 3/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 4 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Btn--4 to 8 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry, weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
BCn--8 to 12 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2)
very fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
2Cn1--12 to 20 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand , light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few medium tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear smooth boundary.
2Cn2--20 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few medium tubular pores; 15 percent cobbles and 35 percent pebbles; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Deer Lodge County, Montana; 1550 feet east and 550 feet south of the NW corner of Sec. 33, T. 1 N., R. 14 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 36 to 41 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 12 and 35 inches.
Depth to seasonal high water table - 12 to 24 inches.
Depth to 2C horizon - 8 to 13 inches.
A1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
EC: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium absorption ratio: 13 to 30
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 9.0
A2 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam, silt loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent
EC: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium absorption ratio: 30 to 50
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 9.0
Btn horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sodium adsorption ratio: 13 to 30
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 9.6
BCn horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3
Texture: very fine sandy loam, loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Sodium adsorption ratio: 13 to 30
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 9.6
2Cn1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy sand, or sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Sodium adsortion ratio: 4 to 13
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.6
2Cn2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy sand or sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent (10 to 20 percent cobbles, 25 to 40 percent pebbles)
Sodium adsortion ratio: 4 to 13
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.6
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - floodplains.
Elevation - 5,800 to 6,100 feet.
Slope - 0 to 2 percent.
Parent material - alluvium.
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 19 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 34 to 39 degrees.
Frost free season - 30 to 70 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; moderately slow over rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Eine soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly basin wildrye, alkali cordgrass and alkali sacaton, with small amounts of western wheatgrass, inland saltgrass and greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eine soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deerlodge County, Montana, 1999.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT1733. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 8 inches (A1, A2 and Btn horizons); an argillic horizon from 4 to 8 inches (Btn horizon); a lithologic discontinuity at 12 inches (2Cn1 horizon); a particle size control section from 10 to 40 inches (BCn, 2Cn1 and 2Cn2 horizons). Eine soils have a cryic temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime.