LOCATION LIMADAM MT
Established Series
REV. JJU-RJS
01/2012
LIMADAM SERIES
The Limadam series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in lacustrine deposits. These soils occur on lakebeds. Slopes are 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 380 mm, and the mean annual air temperature is about 4 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Chromic Haplocryerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Limadam silty clay, in rangeland on a 2 percent slope at an elevation of 2013 meters (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate coarse angular blocky structure; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 18 cm thick)
Bss1--8 to 44 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many fine tubular pores; few slickensides with intersecting surfaces 10 to 60 degrees from horizontal; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Bss2--44 to 72 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many fine tubular pores; common slickensides with intersecting surfaces 10 to 60 degrees from horizontal; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Bss1, Bss2 horizons - 50 to 75 cm)
Bk1--72 to 91 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and 2 percent fine, faint, irregular soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)
Bk2--91 to 121 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; many medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and 50 percent coarse, prominent, irregular soft masses of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 40 cm thick)
BCk--121 to 152 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; many medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; massive; very hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine tubular pores; finely disseminated carbonate and 50 percent coarse, prominent, irregular soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Beaverhead County, Montana; located about 1900 feet west and 160 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 24, T. 14S, R 6W; Monida topographic quadrangle; UTM 12T, 398729e, 4940296n, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 2 to 5 degrees C.
Cracks - greater than 2.5 cm wide when soils are dry
Depth to slickensides - 6 to 30 cm
Depth to calcic horizon - 70 to 120 cm
Particle size control section clay content - averages 40 to 55 percent clay.
Mottles - relic redoximorphic features.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 30 to 45 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 6 mmhos/cm
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
Bss1, Bss2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 6 mmhos/cm
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
Bk1, Bk2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 6 mmhos/cm
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
BCk horizon
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: silty clay or clay
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 6 mmhos/cm
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Crespin (CO) - does not have a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - lakebeds
Elevation - 1980 to 2135 meters
Slope - 0 to 6 percent
Parent material - lacustrine deposits
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; short warm summers
Mean annual precipitation - 375 to 485 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 1 to 4 degrees C
Frost-free period - 50 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Limadam soils are used mainly for rangeland. The vegetation is mainly one-spike oatgrass, Poa (species), and low sage.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Limadam soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana. MLRA - 44B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Horse Prairie-South Valley Area - Part of Beaverhead County, Montana, 2011; proposed in Beaverhead County, Montana, 2010.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 8 cm (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - from 8 to 72 cm (Bss1, Bss2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - from 72 to 121 cm (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Vertisol criteria - cracks greater than 2.5 cm wide when soils are dry and slickensides from 8 to 72 cm (Bss1, Bss2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 25 to 100 cm (part of Bss1, Bss2, Bk1, part of Bk2 horizons)
Limadam soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.