LOCATION VILLSPRINGS MT
Established Series
Rev. LCB-KTS-EMM
09/2014
VILLSPRINGS SERIES
The Villsprings series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium. These soils are on flood plains, alluvial fans and stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 15 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 41 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Typic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Villsprings silt loam, in hayland (colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; slightly decomposed organic layer; strongly effervescent; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Ag--4 to 9 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) silt loam, gray (5Y 6/1) dry; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) redox concentrations, moist; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bkg1--9 to 19 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silt loam, gray (5Y 6/1) dry; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 5/4) redox concentrations, moist; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary.
Bkg2--19 to 32 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loam; gray (5Y 6/1) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 5/4) redox concentrations, moist; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bkg1, Bkg2 horizons - 10 to 37 inches)
2Bkg3--32 to 35 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very gravelly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 5/4) redox concentrations, moist; 40 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
3C--35 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; single grain; loose; slightly sticky and nonplastic; 65 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Meagher County, Montana; 1,300 feet east and 1,300 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 26, T. 9N, R 6E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Depth to seasonally high water table - 0 to 12 inches
Depth to sandy-skeletal substratum - 20 to 40 inches from the mineral soil surface
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 5Y or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 moist; 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2; dry or moist
Texture: silt loam or loam
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
Bkg1, Bkg2 horizons
Hue: 10YR, 5Y or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 moist; 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2; dry or moist
Texture: loam, silt loam or silty clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
2Bkg horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 moist; 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2; dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 60 percent-5 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 20 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
3C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 moist; 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 75 percent--40 to 70 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Villard (MT) - do not have a calcic horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - flood plains alluvial fans, and stream terraces
Elevation - 4,500 to 6,200 feet
Slope - 0 to 2 percent
Parent material - alluvium
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; short, warm summers
Mean annual precipitation - 12 to 19 inches, most of which falls during spring and early summer
Mean annual air temperature - 38 to 43 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; moderate permeability to sandy-skeletal material and rapid in the sandy-skeletal material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Villsprings soils are used mainly for grass hay and grazing for livestock. The potential native vegetation is mainly tall reedgrasses, mannagrasses, tufted hairgrass, bearded wheatgrass, slender wheatgrass, sedges, other perennial grasses, forbs, and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Villsprings soils are of small extent in the valleys of western Montana. MLRA - 43B, 44B, and 46
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Horse Prairie-South Valley Area - Part of Beaverhead County, Montana, 2011; proposed in Meagher County, Montana, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Organic layer - from 0 to 4 inches (Oi horizon)
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 9 inches, mixed (Oi, Ag horizons)
Calcic horizon - from 9 to 32 inches (Bkg1, Bkg2 horizons)
Sandy-skeletal materials - from 42 to 60 inches (3C horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 14 to 44 inches (part of Bkg1, Bkg2, 2Bkg3, part of 3C horizons)
Villsprings soils have a frigid temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil interpretation record - MT1465.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.