LOCATION MOIESE             MT 
Established Series
Rev. BDD-GLS-JAL
4/97

MOIESE SERIES


The Moiese series consists of very deep, excessively drained soils that formed in alluvium and glacial outwash. These soils are on stream terraces and alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 13 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Calcic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Moiese loam, cropland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

Ap--0 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many roots; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

Bw1--8 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many roots; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bw2--13 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many roots; 35 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; 25 percent of pebbles have distinct lime crusts on undersides; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)

2Bk1--18 to 33 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; 50 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; common prominent lime crusts on undersides of pebbles and common distinct lime crusts on vertical sides of pebbles; common faint lime coatings on tops of pebbles; 10 percent calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (11 to 17 inches thick)

2Bk2--33 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly coarse sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 60 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; common distinct lime crusts on undersides of pebbles and common faint lime coatings on tops and sides of pebbles; 5 percent calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Montana; 50 feet north and 2,550 feet west of the SE corner of sec. 18, T. 19 N., R. 21 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.

Moisture control section - between 12 and 35 inches.

Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 16 inches.

Depth to Bk horizon - 12 to 19 inches.

Depth to sand and gravel - 12 to 19 inches.

Ap horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist

Chroma: 2 or 3

Texture: loam or sandy loam

Clay content: 10 to 22 percent

Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles; 0 to 30 percent pebbles

Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3

Bw1 horizon - Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist

Chroma: 2, 3 or 4

Texture: loam or sandy loam

Clay content: 5 to 22 percent

Rock fragments: 5 to 60 percent--0 to 15 percent cobbles; 5 to 45 percent pebbles

Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.3

Bw2 horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist

Chroma: 2, 3, or 4

Clay content: 5 to 15 percent

Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--0 to 15 percent cobbles; 35 to 45 percent pebbles

Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8

2Bk1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR

Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 2 or 3

Texture: loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, or fine sand

Clay content: 0 to 5 percent

Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent--0 to 20 percent cobbles; 50 to 55 percent pebbles

Calcium Carbonate equivalent: 8 to 15 percent

Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4

2Bk2 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR

Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 2 or 3

Texture: loamy coarse sand, coarse sand, or loamy sand

Clay content: 0 to 5 percent

Rock fragments: 50 to 85 percent--0 to 20 percent cobbles; 50 to 65 percent pebbles

Calcium Carbonate equivalent: 3 to 10 percent

Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4

COMPETING SERIES:

Bunting (ID) - has 1 to 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the 2Bk horizon; has 2Bkq horizon.

Jocko (MT) - do not have a lithologic discontinuity.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:

Landform - stream terraces and alluvial fans.

Elevation - 2,500 to 3,500 feet.

Slope- 0 to 4 percent.

Parent material - alluvium and glacial outwash.

Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm, dry summers.

Mean annual precipitation - 12 to 14 inches.

Mean annual temperature - 43 to 45 degrees F.

Frost-free period - 105 to 125 days.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; moderately rapid permeability to a depth of 18 inches and rapid or very rapid below this depth.

USE AND VEGETATION: Moiese soils are used mainly for rangeland, pastureland, and irrigated cropland. Potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, needleandthread, Sandberg bluegrass, prairie junegrass, forbs, and shrubs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Moiese soils are of moderate extent in intermountain valleys of western Montana.

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

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

REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT0043. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 13 inches (A, Bw1 horizons); a cambic horizon from 13 to 18 inches (Bw2 horizon); horizons of carbonate accumulation from 18 to 60 inches (2Bk1, 2Bk2 horizons); a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (Bw1, Bw2, 2Bk1, 2Bk2 horizons). Moiese soils have a frigid temperature regime and a xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.