Soil Survey of Sweet Grass County Area, Montana - Soil Data Mart

Sweet Grass County Area, Montana—Part I 97
A—0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2)
loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak
very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very
friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common
very fine and fine roots; common very fine pores;
5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly
alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
A2—9 to 21 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2)
fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2)
moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable,
nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots;
common very fine pores; thin strata of light
brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam and loamy fine
sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; 5 percent
gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline
(pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
A3—21 to 25 inches; dark grayish brown and grayish
brown (10YR 4/2 and 5/2) fine sandy loam, very
dark brown and grayish brown (10YR 2/2 and
4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky,
nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine
pores; thin strata of grayish brown (10YR 5/2)
moist, loam and loamy fine sand; 10 percent
gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline
(pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary.
2C—25 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 7/2)
extremely gravelly coarse sand, grayish brown
(10YR 5/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky,
nonplastic; 45 percent gravel; 20 percent cobbles;
5 percent stones; disseminated lime with
segregated lime around rock fragments; slightly
to strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4).
Range in Characteristics
Soil temperature: 40 to 43 degrees F
Moisture control section: Between 8 and 24 inches
Depth to the seasonal high water table: 24 to
42 inches
Depth to the 2C horizon: 20 to 40 inches
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture (less than 2 mm): Loam
Clay content: 7 to 15 percent
Content of rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent—0 to
5 percent cobbles; 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
A2 and A3 horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture (less than 2 mm): Fine sandy loam or
loam with strata of finer and coarser material
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Content of rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent—0 to
5 percent cobbles; 0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
2C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture (less than 2 mm): Coarse sand or loamy
sand
Clay content: 1 to 5 percent
Content of rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent—0 to
10 percent stones; 5 to 20 percent cobbles;
30 to 50 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Meadowcreek Series
Depth class: Very deep (greater than 60 inches)
Drainage class: Somewhat poorly drained
Permeability: In the upper 0 to 31 inches = moderate
(0.6 to 2.0 inches/hour); below this depth = rapid
(6 to 20 inches/hour)
Landform: Flood plain, stream terrace, drainageway
on fan
Parent material: Fine-loamy over sandy and gravelly
alluvium
Slope range: 0 to 2 percent
Elevation range: 3,750 to 6,200 feet
Mean annual precipitation: 10 to 20 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 39 to 46 degrees F
Frost-free period: 70 to 130 days
Taxonomic Class: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandyskeletal,
mixed, superactive, frigid Fluvaquentic
Haplustolls
Typical Pedon
Meadowcreek loam, in an area of Meadowcreek-
Nesda loams, 0 to 2 percent slopes, in an area of
hayland, 2,900 feet north and 1,400 feet west of the
southeast corner of sec. 8, T. 1 S., R. 13 E.; USGS
Kelly Hills topographic quadrangle (lat. 45 o 45'49" N.;
long. 110 o 08'31" W.)
Ap—0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam,
very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist;
moderate very fine and fine granular structure;
soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic;
common very fine and fine roots; few very fine
pores; 5 percent gravel; 2 percent cobbles;