LOCATION SAWICKI MT
Established Series
Rev. DES-JB-EMM
04/2014
SAWICKI SERIES
The Sawicki series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium, slope alluvium or colluvium derived from hard fine grained igneous rock, gneiss, schist and sandstone. These soils are on alluvial fans, stream terraces, drainageways, escarpments, hillslopes and mountain slopes. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 430 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 4.5 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sawicki cobbly loam, stony, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 20 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) cobbly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent cobbles, 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 36 cm thick)
Bt1--20 to 36 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 25 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 38 cm thick)
Bt2--36 to 50 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 40 cm thick)
BC--50 to 130 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very cobbly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 40 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 50 cm thick)
C--130 to 160 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 55 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Montana; 60 meters south and 810 meters west of the NE corner of sec. 9, T. 3 N., R. 3 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil Temperature - 3.5 to 7.5 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 40 cm
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam or coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 50 percent--5 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles and stones, 0 to 5 percent boulders
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Bt1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent--5 to 40 percent gravel, 10 to 35 percent cobbles and stones, 0 to 5 percent boulders
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
Bt2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 32 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--15 to 40 percent gravel, 15 to 45 percent cobbles and stones, 0 to 5 percent boulders
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
BC horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: coarse sandy loam, loam, sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--15 to 40 percent gravel, 15 to 45 percent cobbles and stones, 0 to 5 percent boulders
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 7 dry; 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, coarse sandy loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam or loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--15 to 60 percent gravel, 15 to 55 percent cobbles and stones, 0 to 5 percent boulders
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
COMPETING SERIES:
Averett (UT) - have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Bendire (CO) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Blaincreek (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Borpark (CO) - have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Crackerville (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Crampton (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Curecanti (CO) - have 15 to 75 percent sand in the argillic horizon; have hues redder than 10YR
Ess (AZ) - soils are dry in
May and June
Hilger (MT) - have a calcic horizon
Holter (MT) - have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Quincreek (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Sawbuck (MT) - depth to base of argillic greater than 40 inches
Shawmut (MT) - have a calcic horizons
Wickes (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - alluvial fans, stream terraces, drainageways, escarpments, hillslopes and mountain slopes
Elevation - 1,150 to 2,135 meters
Slope - 0 to 70 percent
Parent material - alluvium, slope alluvium or colluvium derived from hard fine grained igneous rock, gneiss, schist and sandstone
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers
Mean annual precipitation - 365 to 485 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 3.5 to 6.5 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 70 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sawicki soils are primarily used for rangeland, wildlife habitat and watershed. The potential native vegetation is mainly Rocky Mountain juniper, big sagebrush, Idaho fescue, rough fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, western yarrow, lupine, and arrowleaf baslomroot. Areas with a forest canopy have an overstory of Douglas-fir and limber pine or ponderosa pine and an understory of rough fescue, Idaho fescue, Rocky Mountain juniper and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sawicki soils are of moderate extent in southwestern Montana. MLRAs - 43A, 43B, 44A, 44B and 46.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gallatin County, Montana, 1997; proposed in Jefferson County, Montana, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 36 cm (A, Bt1 horizons);
Argillic horizon from - 20 to 50 cm (Bt1, Bt2 horizons); and
Particle-size control section - from 20 to 50 cm (Bt1, Bt2 horizons).
Sawicki soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil interpretation record - MT1529.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.