LOCATION WALTERS                 MT

Established Series
Rev. AEK-BHW-KLS
03/2023

WALTERS SERIES

The Swims series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in calcareous alluvium derived from argillite, quartzite, and dolomitic limestone from the Belt formation. These soils are on high bottom lands and low terraces. Slopes are 0 to 10 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 410 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Ustic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Walters very fine sandy loam in pasture (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

Oi--0 to 5 cm; loose mat of relatively fresh conifer needles.

A--5 to 10 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) very fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak, fine, crumb structure; loose and single grained when dry, very friable when moist; slightly acid; abrupt boundary. (3 to 5 cm thick)

E--10 to 30 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive to weak, coarse platy structure; hard when dry, very friable when moist; slightly acid; clear boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

Bw--30 to 38 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak subangular blocky structure; slightly hard when dry, but centers of peds are hard and slightly darker; friable when moist but centers of peds are firm; neutral; clear boundary. (7 to 15 cm thick)

Bk--38 to 66 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; massive, except for the presence of a few, firm or hard, small lumps; soft when dry, friable when moist; calcareous; clear boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

C--66 to 91 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2), fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft when dry, very friable when moist; calcareous; few, fine, firm spots of segregated lime carbonate.

TYPE LOCATION: Northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of sec. 4 T. 29 N., R. 21 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature--4 to 7 degrees C
Rock fragment content-0 to 15 percent gravel, 2 to 45 mm in size, may occur in all horizons.
Variations in Walters soils are mainly in the thickness of horizons and in the depth to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation.

A horizon
Texture--very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content--10 to 20 percent
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 6.5
This horizon may be calcareous if plowed.

E horizon
Texture--very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content--10 to 20 percent
Structure-- massive or weak, coarse platy
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 6.5
This horizon may be calcareous if plowed.

Bw horizon
Texture--silt loam or loam
Clay content--10 to 27 percent
Reaction--pH 6.6 to 7.3
In some pedons this horizon is weakly calcareous.

Bk horizon
Texture--silt loam, loam, or sandy loam
Clay content--5 to 27 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 15 percent
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 8.4

C horizon
Texture--stratified sandy loam, sand or coarse sand
Clay content--2 to 17 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 10 percent
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 8.4
Stratified sand and gravel occur below depths of 90 to 125 cm.

COMPETING SERIES: None listed.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform-nearly level high flood plains or low terraces of rivers or larger streams
Elevation--800 to 1025 meters
Slope--0 to 10 percent
Parent material--alluvial sediments derived from argillite, quartzite, and dolomitic limestone of the Belt Formation
Mean annual precipitation--380 to 510 mm
Mean annual air temperature--3 to 6 degrees C
Frost-free period--90 to 130 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained but water storage capacity of the soil is limited somewhat by the moderately coarse and coarse substrata. Surface runoff, low to none; the soils are moderately permeable.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are mainly used for forest, forage crops and small grains. Natural vegetation is mainly nearly pure stands of conifer and mixed conifer and hardwoods with an undergrowth of shrubs. Douglas fir, larch, ponderosa and lodgepole pine are dominant.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Walters soils are of small extent in the Northern Rocky Mountains of western Montana; MLRA 44A.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Upper Flathead Valley Area, Montana, 1958.

REMARKS:
This series should be investigated in the future to determine the intended central concept. 4/2009

Converted to metric and O horizons were updated to start at zero. Competing series section was not updated. 02/2023

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.