LOCATION VILLARD MT
Established Series
Rev. JAL/EMM
09/2014
VILLARD SERIES
The Villard series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium. These soils are on flood plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 280 cm, and mean annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Typic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Villard silt loam, pasture (colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 5 cm; undecomposed and slightly decomposed layer of fibric material; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 cm thick)
Ag--5 to 18 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate thin platy structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few small gravel; common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) redox concentrations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 13 cm thick)
Bg1--18 to 30 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak thin platy structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) redox concentrations; slightly effervescent; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 38 cm thick)
Bg2--30 to 58 cm; olive gray (5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; weak thin platy structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many fine and medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) redox concentrations; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 38 cm thick)
Bg3--58 to 86 cm; gray (5Y 5/1) loam, gray (5Y 6/1) dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)
2C--86 to 150 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sand, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 55 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Lewis and Clark County, Montana; 2,100 feet east, and 700 feet south of the NW corner of sec. 10, T. 10 N., R. 3 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 5.5 to 8.3 degrees C.
Moisture control section - between 10 and 30 cm from the mineral soil surface.
Depth to 2C horizon - 50 to 100 cm from the mineral soil surface.
Depth to seasonal high water table - 30 to 60 cm from the mineral soil surface.
Where color values of 5 dry and 3 moist occur the horizon is too thin to meet the requirements of a mollic epipedon when mixed to a depth of 18 cm.
Ag horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: silt loam or loam
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent
Effervescence: slightly to strongly
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
Bg1, Bg2 horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; redox concentrations 7.5Y or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2; redox concentrations 4 or 6
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Effervescence: slightly to strongly
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Bg3 horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y; redox concentrations 7.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2; redox concentrations 4 or 6
Texture: loam or silt loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
2C horizon
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles, 50 to 75 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Villsprings (MT) - has a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - flood plains
Elevation - 1,095 to 1,875 meters
Slope - 0 to 2 percent
Parent material - alluvium
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers
Mean annual precipitation - 250 to 410 mm
Mean annual temperature - 4.4 to 7.2 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 70 to 120 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; moderate permeability to 86 cm and rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: Villard soils are used mainly for rangeland and pasture. Potential native vegetation is mainly tall reedgrass, prairie cordgrass, bearded wheatgrass, basin wildrye, tufted hairgrass, and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Villard soils are inextensive in western Montana valleys. MLRAs 43B and 44B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lewis and Clark County, Montana, 1991; proposed in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Oorganic material - the zone from 0 to 5 cm (Oi horizon)
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 18 cm (Oi and Ag horizons)
Gleyed soil material - the zone from 18 to 86 cm (Bg1, Bg2, and Bg3 horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 18 to 86 cm (Bg1, Bg2, and Bg3 horizons)
Skeletal material - the zone from 86 to 150 cm (2C horizon)
Villard soils have a frigid temperature regime and aquic conditions.
Soil interpretation record: MT1211.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.