LOCATION LOWDER MT+ID WY
Established Series
Rev. DES/JAL/KLS
07/2022
LOWDER SERIES
The Lowder series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium and alpine glacial till from hard fine grained igneous and metamorphic rocks. These soils are on alluvial fans, moraines, swales and flood plain steps. Slopes are 2 to 25 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 460 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 3 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid Typic Cryaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Lowder very cobbly loam, very bouldery, in forest (colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Oe--0 to 5 cm; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) cobbly mucky-peat, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 cm thick)
A--5 to 10 cm; black (10YR 2/1) cobbly mucky-loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent cobbles, 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)
Bg1--10 to 23 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very cobbly sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; common medium faint dark gray (5Y 4/1) redox depletions; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 20 percent cobbles and 25 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary.
Bg2--23 to 36 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; common medium faint dark gray (5Y 4/1) redox depletions and few fine faint reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) redox concentrations; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent cobbles, 20 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary.
Bg3--36 to 59 cm; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very cobbly coarse sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; few medium faint very dark gray (5Y 3/1) redox depletions and common fine distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) redox concentrations; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent cobbles, 25 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual irregular boundary.
Bg4--59 to 89 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; common distinct very dark gray (5Y 3/1) redox depletions, many distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redox concentrations; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; 15 percent cobbles, 35 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of Bg horizons is 50 to 80 cm)
BCg--89 to 158 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; common medium distinct very dark gray (5Y 3/1) redox depletions, few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redox concentrations; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; 15 percent cobbles, 40 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Montana; 701 meters north and 518 meters west of the SE corner of sec. 31, T. 4 N., R. 3 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--2 to 6 degrees C
Soil moisture control section--10 and 30 cm
Depth to water table--0 to 30 cm during months of May through August
Oe horizon
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry
Chroma--1 or 2
Rock fragments--10 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent stones and cobbles, 10 to 25 percent pebbles
Reaction--pH 5.6 to 6.5
A horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value--2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry
Chroma--0, 1 or 2
Texture--mucky-silt loam or mucky-loam
Clay content--15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments--10 to 50 percent--0 to 20 percent stones and cobbles, 10 to 30 percent pebbles
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 6.5
Bg1, Bg2 and Bg3 horizons
Hue--2.5Y or 10YR
Value--3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--sandy clay loam or coarse sandy loam
Clay content--18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments--35 to 60 percent--15 to 25 percent stones and cobbles, 20 to 35 percent pebbles
Redox concentrations--none to common, faint to distinct; Hue - 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR; Value - 5 or 6; Chroma - 4, 6 or 8
Redox depletions--few to many; fine to medium, faint to distinct; Hue - 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; Value - 2, 2.5, 3, or 4; Chroma - 0 or 1
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 6.5
Bg4 horizon
Hue--7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3, 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--coarse sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content--18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments--35 to 75 percent--0 to 25 percent stones and cobbles, 25 to 55 percent pebbles
Redox concentrations--few to many, faint to distinct; Hue - 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR; Value - 5 or 6; Chroma - 4, 6 or 8
Redox depletions--few to many, fine to medium, faint to distinct; Hue - 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; Value - 2, 2.5, 3, or 4; Chroma - 0 or 1
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 6.5
BCg horizon
Hue--7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--coarse sandy loam, sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content--12 to 27 percent
Rock fragments--35 to 75 percent--0 to 25 percent stones and cobbles, 35 to 50 percent pebbles
Redox concentrations--few to many, faint to distinct; Hue - 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR; Value - 5 or 6; Chroma - 4, 6 or 8
Redox depletions--few to many, fine to medium, faint to distinct; Hue - 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; Value - 2, 2.5, 3, or 4; Chroma - 0 or 1
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--alluvial fans, moraines, swales and flood plain steps
Elevation--1675 to 2275 meters
Slope--2 to 25 percent
Parent material--alluvium and alpine glacial till from hard fine grained igneous and metamorphic rocks
Climate--long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, cool summers
Mean annual precipitation--380 to 610 mm
Mean annual air temperature--2 to 4 degrees C
Frost-free period--30 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained, moderate permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: Lowder soils are primarily used for timber production, wildlife habitat and for watershed. The potential native vegetation is mainly lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, quaking aspen, Engelmann spruce, Rocky Mountain juniper, tall sedges, starry false lily of the valley, western meadow-rue, buttercup, strawberry, clover, prickly currant, Kentucky bluegrass, sedges, iris and shrubby cinquefoil.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lowder soils are of moderate extent in southwestern Montana, western Wyoming and eastern Idaho; MLRAs 43B and 44B
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Montana, 1998
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Cambic horizon--5 to 89 cm (Bg1, Bg2, Bg3, Bg4 horizons)
Particle-size control section--25 to 100 cm (Bg3, Bg4 horizons and part of Bg2 and BCg horizons).
Lowder soils have a cryic temperature regime and an aquic soil moisture regime.
Converted to metric, updated formatting, and O horizons were updated to start at zero. 7/2022
Soil interpretation record: MT3080.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.