LOCATION KISSICK MT+WYTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Udic Haplusterts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kissick clay (native grass). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A--0 to 11 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; strong fine granular to very fine subangular blocky structure in upper three inches, moderate coarse prismatic breaking to moderate medium and fine blocky structure in lower part; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
Bss--11 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; common tonuges of dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse blocky structure, and pressure faces up to 2 inches in diameter on parallelepiped structures tilted 60 degrees from vertical; very hard, very firm, and very sticky and very plastic; neutral (pH 7.2); clear irregular boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
BCss--19 to 25 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; slightly tongued with dark gray (10YR 4/1), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and coarse blocky structure and pressure faces up to 1 inch in diameter on faces of parallelepiped structures tilted 60 degrees from vertical; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8). (6 to 10 inches thick)
2C1--25 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) heavy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few tongues of dark gray (10YR 4/1), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; strong effervescence with many medium sized distinct lime mottles or soft lime concretions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual boundary.
2C2--33 to 42 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine faint lime mottles; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary.
2C3--42 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) light clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slight effervescence.
TYPE LOCATION: Granite County, Montana; 100 feet north and 900 feet east of center of Section 23, T9N, R13W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Kissick soils have cracks at the ground surface as wide as 1 1/2 inches around coarse prisms. These cracks taper to a close in the dry soil at depths greater than 20 inches. These cracks remain open for less than 60 consecutive days after mid or late July and close with September rains. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 42 to 47 degrees F., and the average summer soil temperature is about 60 degrees F. Clay in A, Bss and BCss horizons ranges from 45 to 60 percent and gradually decreases with depth to as low as 30 percent within a depth of 40 inches. The moist A horizon has hues of 10YR to 2.5Y, values of 2 to 3 and chroma of less than 1.5. Tongues of A horizon extending through the Bss and into the BCss horizon are as thick as 1 inch surrounding prisms in the upper Bss horizon and taper to less than 1/8 inch thick surrounding prisms in the lower Bss horizon, and they taper to pendants in the upper C horizons. A and Bss horizons are noncalcareous. Depth to calcareous soil ranges from 15 to 24 inches.
Hues of the Bss horizon range from 10YR to 2.5Y, values from 5 to 6 in dry soil and 3 to 4 in moist soil, with chroma of 3 or 2. Tongues and coatings of soil from A horizon range from few to many.
Color of C horizons ranges from 10YR to 5Y hues, with values of 5 to 6 dry, 4 to 5 moist, and chroma of 3 to 4. Soil from A1 horizon occurs as few to common very thin coatings on widely spaced vertical cracks at depths ranging from 25 to 35 inches where few to common distinct soft segregations of lime occur. Contrasting strata of siltstone, sandstone or clay shale may occur below depths of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES:
These are the
Blackman and
Bradfield series. The Blackman soils have a Bk horizon and do not have a lithologic discontinuity. The Bradfield soils are noncalcareous bove 30 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kissick soils occupy gently to strongly rolling uplands at elevations ranging from 4,500 to 5,500 feet with average annual precipitation of 16 to 20 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F., and mean summer temperature is near 60 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Danvers, Judith and Cabba series. These are loam and clay loam soils. The Danvers and Judith soils occur on terraces in deep unconsolidated materials and the Cabba soils are of shallow depth over paralithic beds.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Kissick soils are well drained, runoff is medium to rapid, and permeability is slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in native grass range. Native vegetation is western wheatgrass with some Sandberg bluegrass and annual weeds and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Widely distributed in mountain valleys of western Montana. Kissick soils are of small extent but are locally important in agriculture.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil Survey of Philipsburg-Drummond Area (Granite County, Montana).
REMARKS: The Kissick soils occur with gilgai relief in some areas.