LOCATION WEMPLE                  MT

Established Series
Rev. JMS/EMR/RJS
05/2013

WEMPLE SERIES

The Wemple series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in eolian deposits, alluvium and/or colluvium over residuum. These soils are on fan remnants, eroded fan remnants and hillslopes. Slopes are 0 to 40 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 430 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 6.0 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Wemple silt loam, rangeland on a 20 percent slope at 1,463 meters elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 23 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 2 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 28 cm thick)

Bt--23 to 38 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 25 percent distinct clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 53 cm thick)

Btk--38 to 51 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; 5 percent faint clay films on faces of peds; common fine soft calcium carbonate masses in the matrix; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 31 cm thick)

Bk--51 to 76 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; many fine soft carbonate masses in the matrix and finely disseminated carbonates; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (16 to 46 cm thick)

BCk--76 to 117 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; finely disseminated carbonates; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0) abrupt smooth boundary. (40 to 62 cm thick)

2R--117 to 152 cm; indurated coarse grained igneous bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Corley Gulch topographic quadrangle, Ravalli County, Montana; 355 meters east and 305 meters north of the SW corner of sec. 14, T. 8 N., R. 19 W; UTM zone 12, 273964e, 5147833n, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 5.0 to 8.0 degrees C
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 28 cm
Depth to argillic horizon - 18 to 28 cm
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - 33 to 81 cm

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 to 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3; dry or moist
Texture: silt loam or loam
Clay content: 12 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8

Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR of 7.5YR; 2 to 3 moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6; dry or moist
Texture: clay loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 34 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.8 to 7.8

Btk horizon
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 28 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.4

Bk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam and fine sandy loam
Clay content: 12 to 26 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 8.0 to 8.4

BCk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent--0 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: pH 7.6 to 8.2

COMPETING SERIES:
Absarook (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Archmesa (CO) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Beartooth (MT) - are very deep
Beeno (WY) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Bielenberg (MT) - are deep to a paralithic contact
Bitterroot (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Bookcliff (UT) - do not have a calcic horizon
Burtoner (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Clancy (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Clasoil (MT) - are very deep
Dooley (MT) - are very deep
Doughty (MT) - are very deep
Empedrado (CO) - are very deep
Fairfield (MT) - are very deep
Farnuf (MT) - are very deep
Farside (MT) - are very deep
Felor (SD) - are very deep
Greenway (SD) - are very deep
Gurney (SD) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Hangdo (UT) - are very deep
Hoppers (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Howbert (CO) - are very deep
Hyalite (MT) - are very deep
Jeffcity (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Kokoruda (MT) - are very deep
Livona (ND) - are very deep
Martinsdale (MT) - are very deep
Maudlin (CO) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Meagher (MT) - are very deep
Moen (CO) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Moento (CO) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Perrypark (CO) - are very deep
Pianohill (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Placerton (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Reeder (ND) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Reedwest (MT) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Snakejohn (UT) - have more than 10 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section
Sponseller (AZ) - are very deep
Trag (CO) - are very deep
Tragmon (CO) - are very deep
Trazuni (NM) - are very deep
Trujillo (CO) - are very deep
Ulrant (WY) - have a calcium carbonate equivalent greater than 40 percent in the calcic horizon
Vida (MT) - are very deep
Watne (MT) - are very deep
Watrous (ND) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Williams (ND) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Yegen (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - fan remnants, eroded fan remnants and hillslopes
Elevation - 1,110 to 1,900 meters
Slope - 0 to 40 percent
Parent material - eolian deposits, alluvium and/or colluvium over residuum
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers
Mean annual temperature - 4.0 to 7.0 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation - 330 to 560 mm
Frost-free period - 70 to 120 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability

USE AND VEGETATION: Wemple soils are used mainly for rangeland and non-irrigated hayland. Vegetation is chiefly mixed grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Wemple soils are of small extent in western Montana. MLRAs - 43B, 44A.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ravalli County (Bitterroot Valley Area), Montana, 1952.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from the soil surface to 23 cm (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - from 23 to 51 cm (Bt and Btk horizon)
Calcic horizon - from 51 to 76 cm (Bk horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 23 to 51 cm (Bt and Btk horizons)

Wemple soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.

The type location has been moved and re-described to current description standards.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.