LOCATION LONEPINE           MT
Established Series
Rev. BDD-GLS-JAL
11/1999

LONEPINE SERIES


The Lonepine series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium, glaciofluvial, or lacustrine deposits. These soils are on lake plains and terraces. Slopes are 0 to 20 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, frigid Calcic Haploxerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Lonepine silt loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 6 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

Bw--6 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 14 inches thick)

Bk--14 to 19 inches; very pale browne (10YR 8/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure of varve remnants; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots and pores; disseminated lime and common medium soft masses of lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual irregular boundary. (4 to 17 inches thick)

C--19 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive, consisting of 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick varves; very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Montana; 2,600 feet west and 100 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 25, T. 21 N., R. 21 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - approximately between the depths of 4 and 12 inches.
Control section - 18 to 35 percent clay.
Depth to k horizon - 11 to 20 inches.
Depth to varves - 18 to 40 inches.

Ap horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 12 to 25 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8

Bw horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry; 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4

Bk horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4

C horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma:2 or 3
Texture, less than 2 mm: silt loam and silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 50 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0

COMPETING SERIES:

There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:

Landform - lake plains and terraces.
Elevation - 2,000 to 3,000 feet.
Slope - 0 to 20 percent.
Parent material - alluvium, glaciofluvial or lacustrine deposits.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist falls; moist springs; warm, dry summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 10 to 14 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 105 to 130 days.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Lonepine soils are mainly used as rangeland and irrigated and dry cropland. Potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and native forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lonepine soils are moderately extensive in intermountain valleys in western Montana.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County (Lower Flathead Valley Area), Montana, 1929.

REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Record: MT0662. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the soil surface to 6 inches (Ap horizon); a cambic horizon from 6 to 14 inches (Bw horizon); a horizon of lime accumulation from 14 to 19 inches (Bk horizon); varved lacustrine material from 19 to 60 inches (C horizon); and a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (Bw, Bk, and C horizons). Lonepine soils have a frigid temperature regime and a xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.