LOCATION LOWERCREEK MTInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, frigid Typic Xeropsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Lowercreek loamy fine sand, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
01 and 02--1 inch to 0; decomposed and undecomposed forest litter of needles, twigs, grass; neutral (pH 6.6). (0 to 1 inch thick)
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
AC--3 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual irregular boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
C1--9 to 36 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear irregular boundary. (20 to 30 inches thick)
C2--36 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; few small brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam nodules; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Montana; 130 feet south and 35 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 1, T. 21 N., R. 20 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil temperature: 41 to 47 degrees F. Moisture control section: approximately between the depths of 12 and 35 inches.
A1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist Chroma: 2 or 3 Texture, less than 2 mm: loamy fine sand or fine sand clay content: 0 to 5 percent Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3 AC horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist Chroma: 2 or 3 Texture, less than 2 mm: loamy fine sand or fine sand clay content: 0 to 5 percent Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3 C horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist Chroma: 2 or 3 Texture, less than 2 mm: loamy fine sand or fine sand clay content: 0 to 5 percent. Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Corbett, Juniperbute, Sacheen, Shellrock, and Sisters series. The Corbett soils have a paralithic contact of weathered granodiorite at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Juniperbute soils have mollic colors and .3 percent organic carbon below the A horizon to a depth of 60 inches. Sacheen soils have mollic colors to 12 inches and are loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, or sand below the A horizon. The Shellrock soils are loamy coarse sand throughout the profile, have 30 to 40 inches of precipitation and have a frost free period of 10 to 80 days. The Sisters soils have 20 to 60 percent volcanic ash in the control section and 30 to 50 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Lowercreek soils are on uplands in intermountain valleys. Elevations are 2,700 to 3,300 feet. Slopes are 0 to 10 percent. These soils formed in sandy alluvium outwash or eolian deposits. The climate is characterized by cold winters; moist springs; moist falls; and dry, warm summers. Mean annual precipitation is 14 to 20 inches, most of which falls as snow or as rain late in fall or early in spring. Mean annual temperature is 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 105 to 125 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; slow runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as woodland. Some areas have been cleared and used for irrigated and dryland crops. The native vegetation is ponderosa pine with an understory of pinegrass, Indian ricegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Lowercreek soils are of small extent in valleys of northwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Montana, 1979. Lowercreek is a place name.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Records: MT0554. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the soil surface to 7 inches (A, AC horizons); a sandy particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (C1, C2 horizons). Typic Xeropsamments have 60 percent or more base saturation between 10 and 30 inches of the soil surface and do not contain 20 percent or more durinodes within 40 inches of the soil surface. Typic Xeropsamments have a xeric moisture regime.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 8/85.