LOCATION SAPPHIRE MT+CO WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Eutric Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sapphire stony loam, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oe--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed forest litter.
A--1 to 5 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stony loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong thin platy parting to moderate medium platy structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; 3 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, 15 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
E/Bt--5 to 9 inches; E part (85 percent) light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stony loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; Bt part (15 percent) light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak coarse blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common faint clay films on faces of peds with a coating of clear sand grains; 3 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, 15 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1/E--9 to 14 inches; Bt part (85 percent) light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stony clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/3) moist; E part (15 percent) light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few medium faint mottles of grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds with a thick coating of clear sand grains; 5 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 21 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stony clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate medium blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds with a thick coating of clear sand grains; continuous prominent clay films on the surface of rock fragments; 10 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Bt2--21 to 39 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely flaggy sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak fine blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots, mainly along the rock surface; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and on the surfaces of rock fragments; 1 percent stones, 70 percent flagstones, 10 percent channers; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual boundary. (9 to 19 inches thick)
R--39 inches; fractured sandstone that has common distinct clay films on rock fragment surfaces in the upper part of the horizon.
TYPE LOCATION: Judith Basin County, Montana; 2,000 feet north and 200 feet east of the SE corner of sec. 15, T. 19 N., R. 9 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 40 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 35 percent stones and cobbles, 5 to 15 percent pebbles or channers
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5
E/Bt horizon - Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: E part 6 or 7, Bt part 5 or 6 dry; E part 3, 4, or 5, Bt part 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: E part loam or fine sandy loam; Bt part sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: E part 15 to 27 percent; Bt part 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 35 percent stones and cobbles; 5 to 15 percent pebbles or channers
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5
Bt/E horizon - Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: Bt part 5 or 6, E part 6 or 7 dry; Bt part 4 or 5, E part 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: Bt part sandy clay loam, E part loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: Bt part 25 to 35 percent; E part 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 35 percent stones and cobbles; 5 to 15 percent pebbles or channers
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
Bt12 horizon - Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 35 percent stones and cobbles; 5 to 15 percent pebbles or channers
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
2Bt2 horizon - Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 80 to 85 percent--70 to 75 percent stones and flagstones; 5 to 15 percent channers
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Ericson (ID) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches; the argillic horizon is strongly acid.
Haviland (CO) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
Hierro (CO) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
Jaegie (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
Swifton (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
Tongue River (WY) - has a paralithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
Trapper (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
Weminuche (CO) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountains.
Elevation - 3,500 to 6,000 feet in Montana; 9,800 to 11,500 feet in Colorado.
Slope - 0 to 70 percent.
Parent material - residuum and colluvium derived from sandstone.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; moist falls; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 20 to 40 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 38 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 50 to 70 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeable.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sapphire soils are used mainly for timber production and watershed. Potential native vegetation is mainly lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir with an understory of common snowberry, pinegrass, white spirea, heartleaf arnica, common juniper, and kinnikinnick.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sapphire soils are of moderate extent in central and western Montana and in Colorado and Wyoming..
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Judith Basin County (Judith Basin Area), Montana, 1960.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretations Records: MT0150; MT0727. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the mineral soil surface to 9 inches (A, E/Bt horizons); an argillic horizon from 9 to 39; a particle-size control section from 9 to 29 inches(Bt/E, Bt1 and part of the 2Bt2 horizons); a lithic contact at 39 inches (R horizon). Sapphire soils have a cryic temperature regime and a udic moisture regime.