LOCATION GALBRETH MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Aridic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Galbreth sandy clay loam, in cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap1--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary.
Ap2--2 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 3 to 8 inches.)
Bw--7 to 13 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Cr1--13 to 34 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) fractured consolidated sandstone, gray (5Y 6/2) moist; roots matted at top of horizon and in fractures in the upper part; lime coatings along fracture planes in the upper part; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 28 inches thick)
Cr2--34 to 60 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) and yellow (10YR 7/6) weakly consolidated sandy sedimentary beds that crush to loamy fine sand, yellowish brown (2.5Y 5/4) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) moist; hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots along fracture planes; few coarse yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron stains; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Rosebud County, Montana; 2,000 feet north and 300 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 20, T. 8 N., R. 38 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: 42 to 47 degrees F. Particle size control section: texture, less than 2 mm - loam, sandy clay loam; clay content - 18 to 30 percent Depth to Cr horizon: 10 to 20 inches Moisture control section: approximately between the depths of 4 and 12 inches
A horizon - Hue: 10YR Value: 5 dry, 4 moist Chroma: 2 or 3 Texture, less than 2 mm: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam Clay content: 10 to 27 percent Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Bw horizon - Hue: 10YR Value: 5 dry, 4 moist Chroma: 2 through 4 Texture, less than 2 mm: loam or sandy clay loam Clay content: 20 to 30 percent Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4 NOTE: Some pedons have a Bk horizon.
Cr1 horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist Chroma: 1 through 4
C2r horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist Chroma: with 10YR hue - 6 or 8; with 2.5Y hue - 2 or 4; with 5Y hue - 2 Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Feltner series. Feltner soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section and lack consolidated sandstone at shallow depths.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Galbreth soils are on uplands. Elevations are 2,700 to 3,400 feet. Slopes are 1 to 15 percent. These soils formed in material derived from consolidated sandstone. The climate is characterized by cool, with cold, dry winters; moist springs; and hot, dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches. Mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 115 to 135 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Galbreth soils are used mainly as rangeland and dry cropland. The potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, little bluestem, needleandthread, and green needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Galbreth soils are of small extent in southeastern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES PROPOSED: Rosebud County, Montana, 1978.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rosebud County, Montana, 1985.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Records: MT0593. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the soil surface to 7 inches (Ap1 and Ap2 horizons); a cambic horizon from 7 to 13 inches (Bw horizon); consolidated sandstone at 13 inches (Cr1 horizon). Borollic Camborthids feature an ochric epipedon and a cambic horizon. Galbreth soils have an aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic and have a frigid temperature regime.