LOCATION WIDEN MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Widen silty clay loam, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi-0 to 1 inch; forest litter of undecomposed and decomposed needles, twigs, cones, and leaves. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A--1 to 2 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; many very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
E--2 to 5 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and thin platy structure parting to strong fine granular; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many coarse, medium, and fine roots; many very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many coarse, medium, and fine roots; common medium and fine pores and many very fine pores; organic stains on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 18 inches thick)
Bk--13 to 37 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) silty clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common coarse, medium, fine, and many very fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; common fine threads of lime; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Cr--37 to 60 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/4) interbedded weakly consolidated shale and siltstone, olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) moist; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Fergus County, Montana; 800 feet west and 1,200 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 2, T. 16 N., R. 19 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 41 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches
Depth to Cr horizon - 20 to 40 inches.
Depth to Bk horizon - 10 to 20 inches.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3, 4, or 5 dry; 2, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam or loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles; 0 to 5 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
E horizon - Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silty clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles; 0 to 5 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
Bw horizon - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles; 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 8.4
Bk horizon - Hue: 5YR through 5Y
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 4, 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent--0 to 5 percent angular cobbles; 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
Cr horizon - semiconsolidated shale or interbedded shale and siltstone.
COMPETING SERIES:
Sagedale (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountains.
Elevation - 2,500 to 5,000 feet.
Slope - 2 to 60 percent.
Parent material - residuum derived from interbedded semiconsolidated shale and sandstone.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 24 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 80 to 135 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Widen soils are used mainly for woodland and rangeland. Potential native vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir with an understory of Columbia needlegrass, common snowberry, creeping Oregon-grape, bluebunch wheatgrass, blue wildrye, woods rose, common juniper, Idaho fescue, and heartleaf arnica.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Widen soils are inextensive in central Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fergus County, Montana, 1979.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretations Record: MT0348. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the soil surface to 5 inches (A, E horizons); a cambic horizon from 5 to 13 inches (Bw horizon); a horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation from 13 to 37 inches (Bk horizon); a paralithic contact at 37 inches (Cr horizon); a particle-size control section from 11 to 36 inches (Bw, Bk horizons). Widen soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.