LOCATION KILA MTTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Vitrandic Eutrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kila ashy silt loam, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 centimeters; slightly decomposed forest litter.
A--2 to 20 centimeters; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium granular; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; few medium tubular pores and common fine dendritic tubular pores; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (ph 7.8); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 centimeters thick)
Bw--20 to 56 centimeters; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) ashy silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common fine dendritic tubular pores; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (ph 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (25 to 50 centimeters thick)
Bk--56 to 105 centimeters; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/3) silt loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine dendritic tubular pores; few fine soft masses of lime and disseminated lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (ph 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (25 to 50 centimeters thick)
2C--105 to 152 centimeters; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very gravelly silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) redox concentrations; few very fine and fine roots; common fine dendritic tubular pores; 5 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 35 percent gravel; disseminated lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Flathead County, Montana; 540 meters east and 770 meters south of the NW corner of section 8, T. 27 N., R.23 W. Haskill Mountain topographic quadrangle. UTM NAD 83 Zone 11: Northing 5331820, Easting 679230.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 5 to 7 degrees C.
Moisture control section - between 10 and 30 centimeters.
Vitrandic feature - 18 to 60 centimeters thick.
Depth to 2C horizon (loamy-skeletal till) - 105 to 150 centimeters.
Depth to seasonal high water table - 105 to 150 centimeters (April-June).
Some sites have sandy-skeletal glacial outwash at depths greater than 105 centimeters.
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3 dry; 1, 2 or 3 moist
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Bulk density: 1.0 to 1.3 g/cm3
Volcanic glass content: 5 to 15 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe: 0.3 to 1.0 perent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.1
Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Bulk density: 1.0 to 1.3 g/cm3
Volcanic glass content: 5 to 15 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe: 0.3 to 1.0 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.1
Bk horizon:
Value: 7 or 8 dry; 5, 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry; 2, 3 or 4 moist
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravels
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.4
2C horizon:
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5, 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Texture: silt loam, silt, or sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 24 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent--0 to 10 percent stones, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, 25 to 65 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - stream terraces, outwash terraces, lake terraces, and moraines in mountain valleys.
Elevation - 875 to 1425 meters.
Slope - 0 to 8 percent.
Parent material - calcareous alluvium, outwash or glaciolacustrine deposits over till.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm, dry summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 480 to 760 millimeters, much of which falls as snow and spring rain.
Mean annual air temperature - 3 to 7 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Idahocreek, Ashleylake, and Foyslake series. Idahocreek soils have a similar vegetative community. They are poorly drained and do not have a cambic horizon. Ashleylake and Foyslake soils have grand fir and Douglas-fir vegetative communities, respectively. They are well-drained and are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Kila soils are used for woodland, understory grazing, and wildlife habitat. Many areas have been cleared and managed as pasture. Potential native vegetation is mainly Engelmann spruce, white spruce, Douglas-fir, western larch, and water birch. The understory vegetation is mainly pinegrass, twinflower, snowberry, bunchberry dogwood, queencup beadlily, and other forbs and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kila soils are of small extent in the mountains and valleys of northwestern Montana. MLRA 43A and 44A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Flathead County, Montana, 2006. The name is from the town of Kila in Flathead County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Vitrandic feature - from the mineral soil surface to 56 centimeters (A, Bw horizons)
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 18 centimeters (Oi and part of the A horizons)
Cambic horizon - from 20 to 56 centimeters (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon - from 56 to 105 centimeters (Bk horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 25 to 100 centimeters (part of the Bw and Bk horizons)
Kila soils have a frigid temperature regime and an udic moisture regime. Where present, soil water is primarily from subsurface lateral flow. Depth to water fluctuates throughout the year and from year to year.