LOCATION KENSPUR MT
Inactive Series
Rev. CAM-EMM
07/2013
KENSPUR SERIES
The Kenspur series comprises moderately well drained and somewhat poorly drained Gray Wooded soils developing in fine sandy loam, loam or silt loam alluvium in valleys of the Northern Rocky Mountains. The alluvium has its source largely from siliceous and metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. The usual horizon sequence of the Kenspur soil profile is a thin horizon of conifer litter and grass leaves, a thin very dark colored A1 horizon, a moderately thick, light gray A2 horizon having a very irregular lower boundary into a grayish brown B2 horizon that has very little more clay than the A2 horizon, and a substrata of stratified loam and sand. The Kenspur series is distinguished from the Birch, Swims and Walters series, Gray Wooded soils intergrading to Alluvial soils, by the mottled B and C or D horizons, indicating somewhat poor drainage in the Kenspur series. Its B2 horizon is less distinct than in the Stryker series that is a Gray Wooded soil developed in deep silty materials. The Kenspur series has evident horizonation of the Gray Wooded soil profile that is not present in the darker colored soils of the Chamokane and the Slocum series that are Alluvial soils. The Kenspur series is moderately extensive and is locally important in agriculture and timber production.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive Aquic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kenspur very fine sandy loam (new field).
Ap--0 to 10 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) very fine sandy loam with many streaks of gray (10YR 5/1) in a marbled pattern; dark gray and black (10YR 4/1 and 2/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; noncalcareous.
A2&B2--10 to 15 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) very fine sandy loam with many irregular vertical streaks of light gray (10YR 7/1); dark grayish brown and gray (2.5Y 4/2 and 5/1) when moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, thick coating of clear sand and silt in light gray streaks; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
B2--15 to 25 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) with common to many fine faint mottlings of very dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) when moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; weakly calcareous. (10 to 20 inches thick)
D1--25 to 39 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sand; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) when moist; very weakly calcareous; (0 to 20 inches thick).
D2--39 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 6/1) silt loam; gray (2.5Y 5/1) with many fine faint mottlings of light olive brown and dark yellowish brown (2.5Y 5/4 and 10YR 4/4) when moist; massive; hard, very friable; intermittently very weakly calcareous.
TYPE LOCATION: Missoula County, Montana, 200 feet north of Missoula-Ravalli County line in SW1/4 of SW1/4 section 36, T11N, R20W; about 20 rods ENE of SW corner of section. Bitterroot Valley Area Soil Survey type location for series.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The weakly developed Gray Wooded profile of the Kenspur series is developed in fine sandy loam to silt loam textures underlain by stratified loamy and sand alluvium at moderate or greater depths. Evident horizonation of the Gray Wooded soil profile ranges from a distinct A2 horizon 10 or 15 inches thick to a thin A2 horizon four inches thick with an equally thick A1 horizon. The B2 horizon is discernable by its stronger chroma and may have thin clay films on walls of root channels and pores. Color of the Ap horizon ranges in Munsell values of 5 dry and 3 moist or greater. Included soils in shallow swales have thicker A1 horizons and range to poorly drained.
COMPETING SERIES: None listed.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nearly level and gently undulating Alluvial plain, traversed by shallow swales of old drainage channels.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well and somewhat poorly drained with ground water at four to five feet, rising to shallow depth during flood level of the streams.
USE AND VEGETATION: Much of the land is cleared and used for small grain and hay production. Hay meadows are mostly irrigated. Open to thick stands of Ponderosa pine and deciduous trees and shrubs with good grass cover in more open areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Stream valleys in and near the Northern Rocky Mountains in Montana and possibly in neighboring states.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bitterroot Valley Area, Montana, 1952. The name is taken from a railroad siding in Ravalli County.
REMARKS:
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 3/62.
The 3/2008 description reflects a change in classification from Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive Aquic Eutrocryepts to Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive Aquic Haplocryepts due to revision of the cryepts great groups and subgroups. The competing series section was not updated and should be reviewed after all the cryepts have been re-classified.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.