LOCATION HIGHRYE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Ustic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Highrye sandy loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and non-plastic; many fine and very fine and common medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent fine gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium subangular block structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and non-plastic; common fine and very fine and few medium roots; common very fine irregular pores and few fine and very fine tubular pores; 10 percent fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons is 6 to 15 inches)
Bt1--11 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 20 percent fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--23 to 32 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual irregular boundary. (combined thickness of Bt horizons is 7 to 26 inches)
BC--32 to 46 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and non-plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 25 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual irregular boundary. (5 to 28 inches thick)
C--46 to 56 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, non-sticky and non-plastic; 35 percent mainly fine gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary.
Cr--56 to 60 inches; weathered granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Silver Bow County, Montana; approximately 500 feet south and 700 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 22, T 3 N., R 7 W. Elk Park Pass topographic quadrangle, UTM zone 12, NAD 27, 0386723 east, 5095156 north.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 36 to 42 degrees F., cryic temperature regime.
Soil moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches; dry in some or all parts for 90 or more cumulative days in normal years; not dry in all parts for more than half of the cumulative days. Ustic moisture regime.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 15 inches, mixed.
Depth to coarse sandy substrates - 20 to 56 inches, with no strongly contrasting particle-size classes.
Depth to paralithic contact - 40 to 60 inches.
These soils contain a high proportion of medium, coarse, and very coarse angular sand in the sand fraction due to granitic parent materials.
A horizons :
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragment content: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles, 5 to 30 percent, mainly fine, gravel, 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.0
Bt horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: coarse sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragment content: 10 to 35 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles, 10 to 30 percent fine gravel
Reaction: pH 6.2 to 7.4
BC horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: coarse sandy loam, sandy loam or loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 35 percent, mainly fine, gravel
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.6
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: loamy coarse sand or coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 40 percent, mainly fine, gravel
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Accola, Amsden, Barbarella, Cific, Coldspring, Croftshaw, Dewville, Gelkie, Hooligan, Inchau, Kezar, Leavitt, Lucky, Lymanson, Madigan, Michelson, Miracle, Monaberg, Morset, Oro Fino, Passcreek, Philipsburg, Rainbolt, Tripit, Wellsville, Woosley, Youga, and Zade series. The Accola, Amsden, Dewville, Gelkie, Leavitt, Madigan, Michelson, Morset, Oro Fino, Philipsburg, and Wellsville soils are calcareous above 40 inches. The Barbarella, Cific, Hooligan, Inchau, Kezar, Lucky, Lymanson, Miracle, Passcreek, Rainbolt, Tripit, Woosley, and Zade soils have bedrock between 20 to 40 inches. The Coldspring, Croftshaw, Monaberg, and Youga soils lack one or more horizons of loamy coarse sand or coarse sand above 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - Hill or mountain slopes, pediments, ridges
Elevation - 5,150 to 7,570 feet.
Slope - 2 to 45 percent.
Parent material - granitic colluvium and residuum.
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; cool, dry summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 19 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 34 to 40 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 30 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the
Branham and
Zonite series. The Branham soils lack an argillic horizon, have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches and occur more on sideslope landform positions. Zonite soils are very shallow to bedrock and occur mainly on shoulder and summit landform positions or adjacent to granite outcrops.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability above the BC horizon and moderately rapid to rapid in the BC and C horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Highrye soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Nelson's needlegrass, rubber rabbitbrush, rough fescue, Idaho fescue, silvery lupine and other miscellaneous forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Highrye soils are not extensive in the mountains and foothills of southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Silver Bow County, Montana, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from 0 to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizons); an argillic horizon from 11 to 32 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons); coarse sand at 46 inches (C horizon); a particle-size control section from 11 to 31 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons). Highrye soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.