LOCATION QUAGLE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Quagle silt loam, in cropland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bk1--9 to 23 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; violently effervescent; many medium soft masses of lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 20 inches thick)
Bk2--23 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; violently effervescent; common fine soft masses of lime; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Gallatin County, Montana; 800 feet south and 2,600 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 21, T. 2 S., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 41 to 45 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches; not dry in all parts for 45 consecutive days.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 10 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon - 6 to 10 inches.
Ap horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: 7.4 to 8.4
Bw horizon - Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: 7.9 to 8.4
Bk horizons - Value: 6 or 7 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Clay content: 15 to 22 percent; clay size carbonates--4 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent
Reaction: 7.9 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES:
Sakakawea (ND) - are stratified and mottled above a depth of 40 inches.
Sutley (SD) - do not have Bw horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - alluvial fans and stream terraces in intermountain valleys.
Elevation - 4,500 to 5,700 feet.
Slope - 0 to 35 percent.
Parent material - loess deposits.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - is 14 to 19 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 39 to 43 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 90 to 110 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Quagle soils are used for cropland, rangeland, and wildlife habitat. The principal crop is dryland winter wheat. The potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, rough fescue, Columbia needlegrass, and Richardson needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Quagle soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gallatin County, Montana, 1997.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT1305. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the surface to 6 inches (Ap horizon); a calcic horizon from 9 to 60 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons); and a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (Bk horizons). Quagle soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Type location is NSSL sample S88MT031-12. Other samples are S88MT031-15, S88MT031-14, S88MT031-8, S88MT031-4, and S88MT031-1.