LOCATION LINNET MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Torrertic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Linnet silty clay loam, cropland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; strong fine and very fine granular structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many fine pores; common unstained sand grains; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--6 to 15 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and very fine angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; many fine and very fine roots with some along faces of peds; many fine and very fine and few medium tubular pores; continuous faint clay films on faces of peds; common pressure faces 1 to 3/4 inch wide cracks; neutral (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Btk--15 to 30 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) silty clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium blocky, many fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine pores, few fine medium pores; few faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent pebbles; continuous faint lime casts on underside of pebbles; few, fine masses of segregated lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bk1--30 to 42 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse blocky; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine pores, few fine and medium pores; few fine masses of segregated lime; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
BCy--42 to 66 inches; grayish brown and light brownish gray (2.5Y 5/2 and 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak thick and very thick platy structure parting to weak fine and medium blocky; extremely hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine pores; few fine lignite chips; 5 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; common fine nests and seams of gypsum; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Cascade County, Montana; 310 feet north and 525 feet east of SW corner of sec. 15, T. 22 N., R. 4 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 41 to 47 degrees F.
Soil moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Mollic epipedon - 7 to 16 inches thick.
Surface cracks - 1 to 2 inches wide.
Depth to Btk or Bk horizon - 11 to 20 inches.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, clay, or silty clay
Clay content: 30 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Bt horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Clay content: 45 to 60 percent
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, clay, or silty clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Btk and Bk horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay, silty clay, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
SAR: 0 to 13
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
BCy horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay, silty clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Gypsum: 2 to 5 percent
SAR: 2 to 13
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0
A C horizon and stratification of silty clay loam, silty clay, and clay occurs below 35 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES:
Cerro (CO) - are stony below a depth of 26 inches and are mainly stony above 26 inches; receive 15 to 25 inches of precipitation; are at elevations greater than 6,600 feet.
Dutton (MT) - have a paralithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
Mondamin (SD) - have mottles at 24 inches and deeper; have tongues of surface materials extending to depths greater than 40 inches; have precipitation greater than 14 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - stream terraces, alluvial fans, lake plains, drainageways, and till plains.
Elevation - 2,200 to 4,000 feet.
Slope- 0 to 10 percent.
Parent material - alluvium and glaciolacustrine deposits.
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, warm, dry summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 10 to 14 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 42 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 105 to 135 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Linnet soils are used mainly for nonirrigated cropland and rangeland. Potential native vegetation is mainly western wheatgrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, green needlegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Linnet soils are extensive on glaciated plains and lacustrine terraces in Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cascade County, Montana, 1969.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT0110, MT0843. Linnet soils were formerly classified as Brown soils. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 15 inches (Ap, Bt horizons); and argillic horizon from 6 to 30 inches that is also the particle-size control section (Bt, Btk horizons); accumulations of calcium carbonates from 15 to 42 inches (Btk, Bk horizons). Linnet soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime that borders on aridic.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory sample S68MT-013-5.