LOCATION LAUREL MT+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Aquisalids
TYPICAL PEDON: Laurel clay loam - uncultivated. (Colors are of dry oil unless otherwise noted.)
A1sa--0 to 16 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist, strong fine and very fine granular structure under a very thin (1/16 to 1/8 inch) salt crust; soft, very friable; many flakes, streaks and seams of soluble salts and gypsum; few crystals of pure gypsum; slight effervescence; gradual boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
C1sa--16 to 22 inches; light yellowish brown (2 5Y 6/3) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; massive; hard, very friable; common flakes and streaks of soluble salts and gypsum; slight effervescence; diffuse boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
C2--22 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) stratified loam, silt loam, and very fine sandy loam; few yellowish brown mottles in upper part becoming more common with depth; slightly hard, very friable; slight effervescence.
TYPE LOCATION: Treasure County, Montana; about 1,100 feet east of S1/4 corner sec. 3, T.6N., R.36E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Laurel soils have mean annual soil temperature ranging from 48 degrees to 54 degrees F. Efflorescence of salts occurs over the land surface or only in scattered spots. The salic horizon with its .6 to 2 percent salt occurs immediately below the surface for depths of 8 to 30 inches. The arrangement and thickness of the several strata in the profiles of these soils vary greatly within short distances. Sedimentary layers or old buried surface horizons as dark or darker than the present surface soil occur at random depths in a five-foot profile. The stratifications include sandy materials below depths of 40 inches in many profiles, but the average texture between depths of 10 and 40 inches ranges in clay percentage from 15 to 35, and there is 15 to 30 percent fine and coarser sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bone, Haverson, Hysham, Lardell and Sage series. Bone soils have clayey textures, an argillic horizon, and reforming crusted massive soil surface. Haverson soils lack salic horizons and distinct color mottlings. Hysham soils have massive surfaces, lack salic horizons and lack distinct color mottlings. Lardell soils have frigid soil temperatures. Sage soils have clayey textures.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Laurel soils are in valley positions. They formed in calcareous, saline, loamy alluvium from mixed rock sources. Climate is cool, semiarid, with mean annual temperature of 45 to 49 degrees F., mean summer temperature of 65 to 70 degrees F., and a mean winter temperature of 20 to 28 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 16 inches.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lohmiller and Arvada soils and the competing Bone, Haverson, Hysham and Sage soils. Arvada soils have natric horizons. Lohmiller soils are nonsaline bottomland soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow runoff. Some areas are ponded for short periods due to runoff from higher terrace levels. The ground water level varies from near the surface during irrigation season to a depth of over 4 or 5 feet during the late fall and winter.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal use is for native pasture. Some areas have been partially reclaimed by deep drainage and leaching. Alfalfa, sugar beets, oats, and barley are grown on the reclaimed areas. Native vegetation is salt-tolerant plants, such as inland saltgrass, alkali sacaton, western wheatgrass. Many areas are nearly barren except for a sparse growth of the more tolerant grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the valleys of rivers and streams in southeastern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Billings Area, Montana, 1902.
REMARKS: The Laurel soils were formerly classified as Solonchak soils.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 4/73.