LOCATION XAVIER MT

Established Series
Rev. JCM/CAM/TH
01/2023

XAVIER SERIES

Typically, Xavier soils have grayish brown silty loam A1 horizons, dark brown heavy silty clay loam B2t horizons and light yellowish brown calcareous silt loam C horizons containing a few seams and masses of segregated lime in the upper part.

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Xavier silty clay loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many clear unstained silt and very fine sand grains; clear smooth boundary.

A2--3 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) heavy silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; clear smooth boundary. (A1 horizon is 3 to 7 inches thick)

Bt--5 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) heavy silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure that separates to strong fine blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky, plastic; patches of varnish-like films on surfaces of peds; common very fine roots; many very fine pores; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)

BC--10 to 16 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure that separates to moderate medium blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common very fine roots and pores; slightly effervescent; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

Ck1--16 to 27 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) silt loam, light olive brown (2.5y 5/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure that separates to moderate medium blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine pores; strongly effervescent; common fine threads and soft masses of lime; gradual wavy boundary.

Ck2--27 to 36 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) silt loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure that parts to weak coarse blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine pores; strongly effervescent; few fine threads and soft masses of lime; diffuse wavy boundary. (Cca horizon is 10 to 30 inches thick)

C--36 to 62 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) silt loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; strongly effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Big Horn County, Montana; 2,000 feet north and 65 feet east of the center of sec. 18, T.5S., R.33E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 45 to 47 degrees F. Thickness of solum ranges from 8 to 12 inches, and depth to bottom of B2t horizon ranges from 6 to 10 inches. Hue is 10YR or 2.5Y throughout the soil. The 10- to 40-inch section contains 20 to 35 percent clay. There are few fine pebbles on the surface or at any depth, in some pedons. The A1 horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist. The Ap horizon has 22 to 30 percent clay. The B2t horizon, 4 to 6 inches thick, has value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 2 moist and chroma of 3 or 4. It has 35 to 45 percent clay and cation exchange capacity of 70 to 80 millequivalents per 100 grams of clay. This horizon has moderate to strong prismatic structure that separates to fine and medium blocky structure. It is heavy silt loam to light silty clay loam. This horizon has moderate to weak prismatic or blocky structure in the upper part. This horizon contains common fine threads, seams and soft masses of lime.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beauvais, Farland, Jekley, Keiser, Morton and Wyola series. Beauvais, and Keiser soils have mean annual soil temperature ranging from 48 to 53 degrees F. and they are usually dry. Also, Keiser soils have ochric epipedons. Farland, Jekley and Morton soils have silty clay loam B2t horizons with less than 35 percent clay and extending to depths greater than 10 inches. Also, Morton soils have shale or siltstone bedrock at depths ranging from 20 to 40 inches. Wyola soils have silty clay B2t horizons with their base at depths ranging from 11 to 18 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Xavier soils are on gently sloping to moderately steep fans, terraces and high benches at elevations of 3,800 to 4,200 feet. The soils formed in transported silty alluvial and eolian sediments. Mean annual precipitation is 15 to 16 inches. Mean annual temperature is less than 46 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 105 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Maschetah and Shaak soils and the competing Wyola soils Maschetah soils lack argillic horizons and have calcic horizons. Shaak soils have clay B2t horizons in a solum more than 12 inches thick.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium to moderately rapid runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for dryland small grain crops and range. Native vegetation is western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, prairie junegrass and slender wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Benches south of the Yellowstone River in south-central Montana where the series is moderately extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Big Horn County (Big Horn Area), Montana, 1970.

REMARKS: Xavier soils were formerly classified as Chestnut soils. Horizon nomenclature updated to match current taxonomy. JCW 12/21

ADDITIONAL DATA: Evidence of the cation exchange capacity of the clay fraction is taken from data on Keiser soils reported in the Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 7.

OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state 2/72.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.