LOCATION ESTESLAKE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, illitic, frigid Typic Natrixeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Esteslake silty clay loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
E--0 to 3 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate coarse platy structure parting to strong coarse granular; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine, fine, and medium pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Btn1--3 to 7 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine, fine, and medium pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary.
Btn2--7 to 12 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores and common medium pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Btn horizons is 4 to 10 inches)
Btkn--12 to 19 inches; white (10YR 8/2) silty clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine, very fine, and medium pores; common faint clay films lining the pores and common faint clay bridging of sand grains; disseminated lime and few fine masses of lime; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
C1--19 to 41 inches; white (10YR 8/2) silty clay loam that has strata of silty clay, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive breaking to plates 1 inch thick; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick)
C2--41 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam that has strata of silty clay, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive breaking to plates 1 inch thick; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Montana; 2,300 feet south and 1,200 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 11, T. 22 N., R. 22 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - approximately 4 to 12 inches.
Control section - 35 to 50 percent clay.
Some pedons have a dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry horizon at a depth of 2 to 4 inches. This horizon is 2 to 4 inches thick.
E horizon - Value: 7 or 8 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
EC: 0 to 4 mmhos/cm
SAR: 20 to 45
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 9.0
Btn horizons - Value: 7 or 8 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
EC: 8 to 12 mmhos/cm
SAR: 45 to 275
Reaction: greater than pH 9.0
Btkn horizon - Value: 7 or 8 dry; 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent
Electrical conductivity: 8 to 12 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 45 to 275
Reaction: greater than pH 9.0
C1 and C2 horizons - Value: 7 or 8 dry; 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 4 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 30 to 100
Reaction: greater than pH 9.0
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Round Butte (MT) series. The Round Butte soils do not have an EC greater than 4 mmhos/cm throughout the profile and the SAR is less than 13 in the surface and less than 40 in the upper Bt horizon to a depth of 11 inches. Also, they have very hard weathered varves above a depth of 20 inches, and SAR values range up to 275 in the C horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Esteslake soils are on dissected alluvial fans, stream terraces, and dissected lake plains. Elevations are 2,600 to 3,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in varved clayey glaciolacustrine deposits. The climate is characterized by long, cold winters; moist springs; and warm, dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches, most of which falls in winter and spring. Mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 105 to 120 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Esteslake soils are used mainly for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is basin wildrye, alkali bluegrass, inland saltgrass, alkali sacaton, and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Esteslake soils are inextensive in northwestern Montana valleys.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Montana, 1991; proposed in Lake County, Montana, 1982. Esteslake is a place name.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Record: MT0759. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the soil surface to 3 inches (E horizon); a strongly sodium-affected argillic horizon from 3 to 19 inches (Btn1, Btn2, and Btkn horizons); a horizon of lime accumulation from 12 to 19 inches (Btkn horizon); and a particle-size control section from 3 to 19 inches (Btn1, Btn2, and Btkn horizons). Esteslake soils have a frigid temperature regime and a xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data-S81MT-047-457