LOCATION WALDBILLIG         MT
Established Series
Rev. BDD-JAL-RJS
10/2008

WALDBILLIG SERIES


The Waldbillig series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in volcanic ash over material derived from till. Waldbillig soils are on mountains and moraines. Slopes are 2 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 35 inches and mean annual temperature is about 39 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Andic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Waldbillig gravelly ashy silt loam, in coniferous forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

0i--0 to 2 inches; undecomposed and slightly decomposed forest litter.

Bw--2 to 12 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly ashy silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; many fine pores; 25 percent gravel; moderately acid (5.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)

2E--12 to 28 inches; pink (5YR 7/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; many fine pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 26 inches thick)

2E and Bt--28 to 60 inches; E part (75 percent) is light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; B part (25 percent) is reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam lamellae 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; texture mixed is very gravelly fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine pores; 35 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.9).

TYPE LOCATION: Missoula County, Montana; 1,780 feet west and 1,320 feet north of the SE corner of sec. 18, T. 17 N., R. 15 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 8 and 24 inches
Surface stones or boulders - 0 to 0.1 percent

Bw horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: Ashy silt loam, ashy loam, ashy sandy loam, ashy fine sandy loam or ashy very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments - 15 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles, stones, and boulders; 15 to 25 percent gravel
Moist bulk density: 1.0 g/cc or less
Acid oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe: more than 1.0 percent
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5

2E horizon - Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 7 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--5 to 30 percent cobbles, stones, and boulders; 20 to 50 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5

2E and Bt horizon - Hue: E part 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; B part 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: E part 5, 6, or 7 dry, 4, 5 or 6 moist; B part 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture, mixed: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam
Clay content: 7 to 18 percent--lamellae has less than 3 percent clay increase
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--5 to 30 percent cobbles, stones, and boulders; 25 to 40 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3

COMPETING SERIES:

Ashworth (MT) - has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Buhrig (WA) - has a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches; has a xeric moisture regime.
Buttoncreek (WA) - has a xeric moisture regime.
Devore (WA) - has a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches; has a xeric moisture regime.
Finney (WA) - has a lithic contact to 40 to 60 inches; has a xeric moisture regime.
Gatewall (WA) - has compact glacial till at 18 to 30 inches; has a xeric moisture regime.
Holloway (MT) - has 60 to 80 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section.
Hun (ID) - does not have an albic horizon; has a sandy-skeletal 2C horizon; has a xeric moisture regime.
Moses (WA) - has a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches; has a xeric moisture regime.
Myerscreek (WA) - has a lithologic discontinuity of compact glacial till mainly below 30 inches; has a xeric moisture regime.
Otwin (OR) - has a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches; has a xeric moisture regime.
Petty (MT) - does not have an albic horizon; has a very hard 2E and Bt horizon.
Phillcher (MT) - does not have an albic horizon; does not have horizon containing lamellae.
Prouty (WA) - has a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
Remmel (WA) - has a xeric moisture regime; does not have a 2E horizon.
Rubycreek (ID) - does not have horizons containing lamellae; does not have a 2E horizon.
Rumsey (MT) - has horizon containing secondary carbonate accumulation; does not have an albic horizon.
Surgh (WA) - has a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches; has a xeric moisture regime.
Sweetbutte (WA) - has a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches; has a xeric moisture regime.
Venson (WA) - has a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:

Landform- mountains and moraines.
Elevation - 3,500 to 9,000 feet.
Slope - 2 to 60 percent.
Parent material - volcanic ash over material derived from till.
Climate - long, cold winters and moist springs.
Mean annual precipitation - 25 to 50 inches, much of which falls as snow or as spring rain.
Mean annual temperature - 37 to 43 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 30 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Waldbillig soils are used for timber production and watersheds and as wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is subalpine fir, western larch, lodgepole pine, and Douglas-fir with an understory of blue huckleberry, common beargrass, twinflower, queencup beadlily and rusty menziesia.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Waldbillig soils are of large extent in intermountain valleys of western Montana. MLRA 43A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Missoula County, Montana, 1985.

REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches (Oi and Bw horizon);
Ash influenced layer - 2 to 12 inches that has a moist bulk density of 1.0 g/cc or less (Bw horizon);
Albic horizon - 12 to 28 inches (2E horizon);
Cambic horizon - 28 to 60 inches (2E and Bt horizon); and
Particle-size control section - 10 to 40 inches (2E, 2E and Bt horizons).

Waldbillig soils have a cryic temperature regime and a udic moisture regime.

The 3/2008 description reflects a change in classification from Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Andic Eutrocryepts to Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Andic Haplocryepts due to revision of the cryepts great groups and subgroups. The competing series section was not updated and should be reviewed after all the cryepts have been re-classified.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.