LOCATION LARDELL MT+SD WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Aquisalids
TYPICAL PEDON: Lardell silty clay loam, grassland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Apz--0 to 8 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; very hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots and pores; many fine crystals of salts; strongly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bz1--8 to 29 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; very hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; 1- to 2-inch thick strata of dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist clay loam; strongly effervescent; many fine crystals of salts; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (12 to 35 inches thick)
Bz2--29 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam stratified with thin lenses of silt loam and fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; common fine salt crystals and disseminated salts; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Blaine County, Montana; 1,980 feet north and 2,310 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 3, T. 32 N., R. 20 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Depth to salic horizon - 4 to 8 inches
Depth to water table - 1.5 to 3.0 feet
A horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or N
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, silty clay
EC: greater than 16 mmhos/cm
SAR: 8 to 50
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 10.0
Bz1 horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or N
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, or 3
Texture: silty clay loam, silt loam, loam, clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
EC: greater than 16 to 50 mmhos/cm
Salt content: 2 to 3 percent
SAR: 13 to 80
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 10.0
Bz2 horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or N
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, 3, or 4
Texture: silty clay loam, silt loam, loam, or clay loam that is stratified with fine sandy loam
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
EC: 16 to 50 mmhos/cm
Salt content: 1 to 2 percent
SAR: 13 to 30
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 10.0
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - floodplains.
Elevation - 2,200 to 3,600 feet.
Slope- 0 to 8 percent.
Parent material - alluvium that is high in soluble salts.
Climate - long, cold winters; warm, moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 10 to 14 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 100 to 130 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Lardell soils are used mainly for range or pasture. Potential native vegetation is foxtail barley, saltgrasses, alkali sacaton, kochia, and greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lardell soils are inextensive mainly in the Milk River Valley on the northern plains of Montana and in closed basins in the eastern plains of Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stillwater County, Montana, 1975.
REMARKS: Soil interpretations record: MT0175.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - from the soil surface to 8 inches that has concentration of salts (Ap horizon); salic horizon - from 8 to 60 inches (Bz1, Bz2 horizons); particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches (Bz1, Bz2 horizons). Lardell soils have an aridic moisture regime that borders on aquic.