LOCATION LIHILL MTTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Torriorthentic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Lihill loamy sand, on a 15 percent lower sideslope in grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A1--0 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and common very fine roots; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary.
A2--13 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and common very fine roots; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 10 to 30 inches thick)
C--20 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Prairie County, Montana; 2,400 feet north and 1,200 feet west of the southeast corner, sec. 34, T. 11 N., R. 51E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 12 and 35 inches.
Depth of mollic colors - 10 to 30 inches.
Depth to carbonates - 6 to 40 inches.
A horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy sand or sand (Textures of fine sandy loam or sandy loam do not extend below a depth of 5 inches.)
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 8.4
Bk and BCk horizons are allowed with characteristics similar to the C horizon.
C horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand or sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Effervescence: none to violent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Kippen - average annual precipitation is about 17 inches, greater than 40 inches to carbonates
Layoint - have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches
Lonetree - average annual precipitation is about 17 inches, have hue of 5YR or redder in the C horizon, greater than 60 inches to carbonates
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - stream terraces, dunes, till plains and sedimentary plains.
Elevation - 2,000 to 3,600 feet.
Slope- 0 to 35 percent.
Parent material - sandy alluvium and eolian deposits.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 10 to 14 inches, most of which falls as rain in spring and in the early part of summer.
Mean annual air temperature - 41 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 105 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chinook and Tinsley soils. Chinook soils have a coarse-loamy control section. Tinsley soils have greater than 35 percent rock fragments throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid permeability; runoff is negligible to low.
USE AND VEGETATION: Lihill soils are used mainly as rangeland. Few areas are used for nonirrigated crops. The potential native vegetation is mainly needleandthread, prairie sandreed, Indian ricegrass and little bluestem.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern and northern Montana. Lihill soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES PROPOSED: Dawson County, Montana maintenance survey, 3/2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon from the surface to 13 inches (A1 horizon - the A2 has the color but not the organic carbon content to be mollic); particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (A1, A2 and C horizons).
The Lihill series was previously mapped as the Lihen series in MLRAs 58A and 52. The series is proposed because changes in taxonomy redefine the criteria for Torriorthentic Haplustolls.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL S86MT-015-540 (sampled as the Lihen series).