LOCATION WINKLER MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lamellic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Winkler very gravelly sandy loam, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches; undecomposed and slightly decomposed forest litter.
A--2 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many fine pores; 40 percent angular gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
E1--5 to 10 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many fine pores; 40 percent angular gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary.
E2--10 to 27 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine pores; 45 percent angular gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizon is 8 to 30 inches)
E and Bt--27 to 44 inches; E part (75 percent) is pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) moist; B part (25 percent) is reddish gray (5YR 5/2) fine sandy loam lamellae 1/8- to 1/2-inch thick, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; 20 percent angular cobbles and 50 percent angular gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 40 inches thick)
C--44 to 60 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; 20 percent angular cobbles and 55 percent angular gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Missoula County, Montana; 1,320 feet east and 660 feet south of the NW corner of sec. 3, T. 13 N., R. 17 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 8 and 24 inches.
A horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent--0 to 5 percent angular cobbles; 15 to 55 percent angular gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
E1 horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5, 6, 7, or 8 dry; 4, 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent--0 to 5 percent angular cobbles; 15 to 55 percent angular gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
E2 horizon - Hue: 2.5Y, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 4, 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--0 to 10 percent angular cobbles; 35 to 60 percent angular gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
E and Bt horizon - Hue: E part 2.5Y, 7.5YR, or 10YR; B part 2.5Y, 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: E part 6, 7, or 8 dry, 4, 5, 6 or 7 moist; B part 4, 5, or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: E part 2, 3, or 4; B part 3 or 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent, lamellae have less than 5 percent increase in clay
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent--10 to 25 percent angular cobbles; 40 to 60 percent angular gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
C horizon - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent--10 to 25 percent angular cobbles; 50 to 60 percent angular gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Wildgen (MT) - has less than 60 percent rock fragments in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform- mountains; hills; escarpments.
Elevation - 2,800 to 6,900 feet.
Slope - 8 to 85 percent.
Parent material - colluvium derived from argillite, quartzite or breccia tuff.
Climate - cool with long, cold winters; moist springs; warm, dry summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 30 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 38 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 115 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: none listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Winkler soils are used for timber production, watersheds, understory grazing, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is ponderosa pine and Douglas fir with an understory of bluebunch wheatgrass, pinegrass, elk sedge, common snowberry, mallow ninebark, and arrowleaf balsamroot.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Winkler soils are of large extent in western Montana. MLRA 43A, 43B and 46.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mineral County, St. Regis-Ninemile Area, Montana, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches (Oi, A, E1 horizons);
Albic horizon - 5 to 27 inches (E1 and E2 horizons);
Cambic horizon - 27 to 44 inches (E and Bt horizons); and a
Particle-size control section - 10 to 40 inches (E2, E and Bt horizons).
Winkler soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data S70MT-32-10, S70MT-32-7 and S87MT-047-003. Soil interpretation records MT0193 and MT8086.