LOCATION WINSPECT MT
Established Series
Rev. BDD-JAL-EMM
04/2014
WINSPECT SERIES
The Winspect series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alpine till, alluvium, and colluvium derived mainly from limestone, dolomite, sandstone, and argillite. These soils are on till plains, moraines, alluvial fans, hills and mountains. Slopes are 0 to 80 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 17 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 41 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Winspect cobbly loam, 2 to 8 percent slopes, rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common fine and very fine irregular pores; 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
ABk--4 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 15 percent cobbles; 10 percent gravel; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bk1--8 to 18 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cobbly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent cobbles; 10 percent gravel; many medium masses of lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 30 inches thick)
Bk2--18 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very cobbly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; 25 percent cobbles; 25 percent gravel; common medium masses of lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Teton County, Montana; 2,300 feet north and 2,200 feet west of the SE corner of sec. 24, T. 25 N., R. 8 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 41 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 14 inches.
Some pedons have a cambic horizon.
Some pedons have a BC horizon.
Some pedons have few to common masses of gypsum below a depth of 40 inches.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 45 percent--0 to 5 percent stones, 5 to 25 percent cobbles, 10 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
ABk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 60 percent--0 to 10 percent stones, 5 to 25 percent cobbles, 10 to 30 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Bk1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--0 to 5 percent stones, 5 to 25 percent cobbles, 15 to 35 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0
Bk2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--10 to 25 percent cobbles, 15 to 35 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES:
Bigsheep (MT) - occurs at elevations below 3,600 feet.
Eagar (AZ) - has a 2C horizon.
Saddlehorse (UT) - has a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
Tosca (UT) - has less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section; mainly extremely stony below a depth of 37 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - till plains, hills, alluvial fans, and moraines.
Elevation - 3,600 to 6,600 feet.
Slope - 0 to 80 percent.
Parent material - alpine till, alluvium, or colluvium derived from limestone, dolomite, and sandstone.
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 12 to 19 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free season - 70 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: none listed
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Winspect soils are used mainly as rangeland. Potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, rough fescue, Idaho fescue, Columbia needlegrass, prairie junegrass, shrubby cinquefoil, creeping juniper, and forbs. These soils also support low density stands of limber pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, and Douglas-fir.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Winspect soils are moderately extensive mainly in central Montana along the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains. MLRAs 43B, 44B, and 46.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Choteau-Conrad Area Soil Survey, Teton County, Montana, 1991. Proposed in Teton County, Montana, 1980.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from the soil surface to 8 inches (A and ABk horizons);
Calcic horizon (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons);
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches (parts of the Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Soil interpretation record: MT0664.
Winspect soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.