LOCATION SANJE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey over loamy-skeletal, smectitic over mixed, superactive, frigid Torriorthentic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sanje clay loam, pasture land. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) heavy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; less than 5 percent pebbles; few cobbles and stones; slightly effervescent; mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)
B21--13 to 30 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) light clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium and fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots and few medium roots; many fine pores and few medium pores; few thin very dark grayish brown organic films on faces of peds; 2 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear irregular boundary.
B22--30 to 46 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) light clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots and few medium roots; many fine pores and few medium pores; 3 percent pebbles; few fine and medium masses of soft lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); gradual irregular boundary. (B2 horizon is 15 to 38 cm thick)
B3ca--46 to 76 cm; gray (10YR 6/1) light clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium and fine subangular blocky; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots and few medium roots; many fine pores and few medium pores; 2 percent pebbles; many fine soft masses of lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (23 to 41 cm thick)
IIC--76 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; 60 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Fergus County, Montana; 790 meters west and 730 meters north of the SE corner of sec. 31, T. 12 N., R. 24 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature:6.0 to 8.0 degrees C.
Rock fragments:mainly limestone or calcareous sandstone
Depth to ca horizon:28 to 51 cm
Depth to gravelly materials:51 to 91 cm
Ap horizon:(Some pedons have an A1 horizon 10 to 20 cm thick) Hue:10YR or 2.5Y
Value, dry:5
Value, moist:3
Chroma:2
Textures, F2 mm:clay loam or heavy clay loam
Clay content:33 to 40 percent
Rock fragments:0 to 15 percent
Cobbles:0 to 5 percent
Pebbles:0 to 10 percent
Reaction:pH 6.6 to 7.8
B2 horizons:(In some pedons the upper 8 cm of the B21 is
mollic)
Hue:10YR or 2.5Y
Value, dry:5 or 6
Value, moist:4 or 5
Chroma:1 or 2
Textures, F2 mm:heavy clay loam or light clay
Clay content:35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments:0 to 15 percent
Cobbles:0 to 5 percent
Pebbles:0 to 10 percent
Reaction:pH 7.4 to 8.4
B3ca horizon:
Hue:10YR or 2.5Y
Value, dry:5, 6, or 7
Value, moist:4 or 5
Chroma:1 or 2
Textures, F2 mm:heavy clay loam or light clay
Clay content:35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments:0 to 15 percent
Cobbles:0 to 5 percent
Pebbles:0 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent:5 to 15 percent
Reaction:pH 7.4 to 8.4
IIC horizon:
Hue:10YR or 2.5Y
Value, dry:6 or 8
Value, moist:4 to 6
Chroma:2 to 4
Textures, F2 mm:sandy loam or loam
Clay content:5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments:45 to 70 percent
Cobbles: 5 to 10 percent
Pebbles:40 to 60 percent
Reaction:pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sanje soils are on terraces and fans. Elevations are 670 to 1,370 meters. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Sanje soils formed in calcareous clayey alluvium overlying very gravelly or extremely gravelly alluvium. The climate is cool, with long cold winters, moist springs, and hot dry summers. Mean annual temperature is 5.0 to 7.0 degrees C. Mean annual precipitation is 250 to 355 mm, most of which falls during spring and early summer. The growing season is 115 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ashuelot and Crago soils. Ashuelot soils have a petrocalcic horizon. Crago soils are loamy-skeletal in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; permeability is moderately slow above the extremely gravelly substratum and moderately rapid in the extremely gravelly substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sanje soils are used for dryland crops, pasture, and range- land. The potential native vegetation is mainly western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, blue grama, and forbs and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Montana; Sanje is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES PROPOSED: Fergus County, Montana, 1976.