LOCATION WHEELBARROW MT
Established Series
Rev. EMR/JMS/RJS
07/2013
WHEELBARROW SERIES
The Wheelbarrow series consists of somewhat excessively drained, moderately deep soils that formed in slope alluvium or colluvium over residuum weathered from granite. These soils are on mountain slopes and hillslopes. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 475 mm and mean annual air temperature is about 5.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Entic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wheelbarrow coarse sandy loam, in rangeland on a 13 percent slope at 1,478 meters elevation (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise indicated).
A1--0 to 18 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and few medium roots; many fine irregular and interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary.
A2--18 to 36 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and few medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons is 25 to 38 cm)
C--36 to 79 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary.
Cr--79 to 97 cm; disintegrated granite bedrock (grus) that crushes to very gravelly coarse sand.
R--97 cm; indurated granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Bing topographic quadrangle, Ravalli County, Montana; 10 meters north and 710 meters east of the SW corner of section 5, T. 9 N., R. 18 W. UTM Zone 12: 278435e, 5160333n, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 5.0 to 8.0 degrees C
Mollic epipedon thickness - 25 to 38 cm
Depth to a paralithic contact - 50 to 100 cm
Depth to a lithic contact - 65 to 100 cm
Rock fragments throughout the profile are dominantly 2 to 5 mm in size.
A1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 to 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 16 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent--0 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 2 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5
A2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent--15 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5
C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 5; dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, sand or loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent--35 to 70 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5
COMPETING SERIES:
Corbly (MT) - are very deep
Dominic (MT) - are very deep
Riverside (MT) - are very deep
Wabek (MT) - are very deep
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountain slopes and hillslopes
Elevation - 1,100 to 1,940 meters
Slope - 4 to 50 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium or colluvium over residuum weathered from granite
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers
Mean annual precipitation - 400 to 575 mm, much of which falls as snow and as spring rain
Mean annual air temperature - 4.0 to 7.0 degrees C
Frost-free period - 70 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; moderately rapid permeability to a depth of 18 cm, rapid and very rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: Wheelbarrow soils are used mainly for dryland pasture; vegetation is chiefly mixed grasses, such as bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Wheelbarrow soils are of small extent in the mountains of western Montana. MLRA - 43B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bitterroot Valley Area, Montana, 2013; proposed in Ravalli County, Montana, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 36 cm (A1 and A2 horizons)
Paralithic contact - at 79 cm (Cr horizon)
Lithic contact - at 97 cm (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 25 to 79 cm (part of A2 and C horizons)
Additional information: 5/1/2013 - Based on the profile description, the Wheelbarrow series was re-classified from Typic Haplustolls to Entic Haplustolls.
Wheelbarrow soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.