LOCATION SANDRIFT MT
Established Series
EMR/RJS
04/2012
SANDRIFT SERIES
The Sandrift series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in water worked sands and/or eolian sands. These soils develop on the edges of lakebeds and on dune slacks. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 390 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature is about 3 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed Oxyaquic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sandrift fine sandy loam, in rangeland on a 1 percent slope at 2,040 meters elevation (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A -- 0 to 27 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 37 cm thick)
Bw -- 27 to 46 centimeters; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; very slightly effervescent, slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual smooth boundary. (19 to 64 cm thick)
BC -- 46 to 94 centimeters; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy fine sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 10 percent (common) medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), moist, masses of oxidized iron; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 90 cm thick)
C -- 94 to 159 centimeters; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) fine sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 20 percent (many) medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) redox concentrations (masses of oxidized iron); many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Lower Red Rock Lake topographic quadrangle, Beaverhead County, Montana; 121 meters south and 637 meters west of the northeast corner of section 30, T. 13 S., R. 1 W. UTM: 439046.9E, 4947537.68N -- Datum NAD83, Zone 12
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 2 to 5 degrees C.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon - 25 to 36 cm
Depth to a seasonally high water table - 60 to 100 cm, kind is apparent, months are April - June
Note: ponding can occur after intense rain events
A horizon
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3; dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 2 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent
Reaction: pH 6.8 to 7.8
Bw horizon
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 2 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent
Reaction: pH 6.8 to 7.8
BC horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6; moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: loamy fine sand or fine sand
Clay content: 1 to 4 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: pH 7.6 to 8.0
C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: fine sand or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 0 to 2 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - lakebed and dune slack
Elevation - 2,020 to 2,050 meters
Slope - 0 to 4 percent
Parent materials - water worked sands and/or eolian sands
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; cool summers
Mean annual precipitation - 355 to 430 millimeters
Mean annual air temperature - 1 to 4 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 50 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils typically occur in native range and are used for grazing cattle and for wildlife habitat. Vegetation is chiefly sagebrush, needle-and-thread, Idaho fescue and lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Sandrift series is of small extent in the intermountain valleys of southwestern Montana. MLRA - 44B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Red Rock Lakes Area - Part of Beaverhead County, Montana, 2012; proposed in Beaverhead County, Montana, 2010.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 27 cm (A horizon)
Oxyaquic criteria - distinct redoximorphic features at 94 cm (C horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 25 to 100 cm (part of the A, Bw, BC, and part of the C horizons)
Sandrift soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime and an oxyaquic moisture subclass.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.