LOCATION KALISPELL          MT

Established Series
Rev.AEK/BHW/CAM/DRC
03/2009

KALISPELL SERIES

The Kalispell series comprises deep well drained medium textured Chestnut soils formed on outwash, glacial lake and stream-laid terraces. The parent material is largely from argillites, quartzites and dolomitic limestone rocks. Like the Creston and Mires series (Chernozem soils) the Kalispell soil profile has weak horizonation in the sola. It has a thinner A1 horizon than these series, is shallower in depth to the Cca horizon than the Creston series and lacks the gravel and sand substratum that underlies the Mires series. The sequence of horizons, color, and texture are about the same in the Kalispell series as in the associated Prospect series (Chestnut soils), but the Kalispell soil profile contains much more silt than sand and lacks the coarse fragments that are randomly distributed throughout the profile of the Prospect series. The Tally soils are the associated Chernozemic Regosols developed in coarse textured alluvium. The Kalispell series has a browner color, is a little less clayey, and is better drained than the Somers series that occurs on the lower and younger terraces. The Kalispell series is inextensive except locally where it is an important agricultural soil.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Kalispell loam

Ap1--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; 10YR 2/2 moist; weak fine and very fine granular structure; soft, very friable; about neutral reaction. Clear lower boundary. A1 is 4 to 10 inches thick

B2--8 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam or silt loam; 10YR 3/3 moist; weak very coarse prismatic and coarse blocky structure; little or no clay coating on the peds; soft to slightly hard, friable; neutral reaction to slightly calcareous in the lower one inch. Clear lower boundary. 5 to 9 inches thick

Cca--13 to 30 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) silt loam; 2.5Y 5/4 moist; massive in place; breaks out into weak medium and fine subangular blocks or lumps; slightly hard, slightly firm in place but very friable moist when disturbed; abundant accumulated floury lime carbonate. Gradual lower boundary. 12 to 18 inches thick

C--30 to 45 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) loam or very fine sandy loam; 2.5Y 5/3 moist; calcareous; massive; soft, friable.

TYPE LOCATION: Flathead County, Montana; NW1/4 NW1/4 section 2, Township 28N, Range 22W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The color of the A1 horizon ranges in Munsell values of 4 to 5 dry and 2 to 3 moist; being thinner and the surface soil being somewhat lighter colored than noted above on the moderately to steeply sloping areas. Loam and silt loam types and substratum phases are recognized in mapping. Small areas of Kalispell soils are slightly to moderately affected by saline-alkali conditions. Where more than 10 to 15 percent of an area is so affected, a Kalispell-Tuffit complex is recognized, the Tuffit being the Solonetz associate.

COMPETING SERIES: None listed.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Topography is nearly level to gently rolling terraces; moderately steep slopes occur along entrenched terrace edges.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately permeable; runoff slow to moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Grasses common to the region, mainly bunchgrasses. Nearly all of these soils are under cultivation. Winter wheat following summer fallow is the principal crop. A small acreage is devoted to spring wheat, barley, alfalfa, and other crops.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North western Montana. Series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Upper Flathead Valley Area, Montana, 1957. The name is taken from the town of Kalispell.

REMARKS:
On 3/4/2009 this description is being entered for the first time into the OSD files. Although it was established in 1957 it has never been in an electronic form. Except for the classification, this series has not been reviewed or updated.

The Kalispell series was originally classified as Coarse-loamy, mixed Haploborolls.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.