LOCATION JEFFCITY MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Jeffcity loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine and few medium pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 14 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial and tubular pores; many faint clay films bridging sand grains and common faint clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.3); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches)
Bk--14 to 33 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent pebbles; disseminated lime, many medium and large seams and masses of white (10YR 8/2) lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual irregular boundary. (10 to 19 inches thick)
Cr--33 to 38 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) decomposed granite bedrock (grus) that crushes to very gravelly loamy coarse sand or loamy coarse sand; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8). (4 to 11 inches thick)
R--38 inches; hard granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Montana; 950 feet south and 200 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 11, T. 5 N., R. 5 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 38 to 44 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 15 inches.
Depth to argillic horizon - 4 to 8 inches.
Depth to Cr horizon - 20 to 38 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 23 to 40 inches.
Surface stones or boulders - 0 to 0.1 percent.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: coarse sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Bt horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bk horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 45 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Absarook (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact.
Beartooth (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Beeno (WY) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Bielenberg (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches; does not have secondary carbonates above a depth of 40 inches.
Bookcliff (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Bullflat (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Burtoner (MT) - does not have horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Clancy (MT) - does not have a horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation above the paralithic contact.
Clasoil (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above 60 inches.
Cortyzack (CO) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Dooley (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches; formed in till.
Empedrado (CO) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Fairfield (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Farnuf (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Felor (SD) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Greenway (SD) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Gurney (SD) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; has 7.5YR and redder hues in the argillic horizon; formed in red sandstone.
Hangdo (UT) - does not have lime above a depth of 40 inches; does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Hoppers (MT) - does not have horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Hyalite (MT) - has a discontinuity of sandy-skeletal material below the argillic horizon; does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Lefor (ND) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Lininger (CO) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Livona (ND) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Martinsdale (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Maudlin (CO) - does not have a horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation; does not have a paralithic contact over the lithic contact.
Meagher (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Moen (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have a horizon of secondary carbonate accumulations.
Pianohill (MT) - does not have horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Placerton (MT) - is 40 to 60 inches deep to the lithic contact.
Reeder (ND) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Reedwest (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above 60 inches.
Snakejohn (UT) - has a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches.
Sponseller (AZ) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Trag (CO) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Trazuni (NM) - does not have a lithic contact above 60 inches.
Tschicoma (NM) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Ulrant (WY) - does not have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches or a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches; has a BA horizon.
Vida (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Watrus (ND) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; formed in sandstone or limestone.
Wemple (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Williams (ND) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Yegen (MT) - does not have a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - bedrock-floored plains, hills and mountains.
Elevation - 5,000 to 6,000 feet.
Slope- 2 to 45 percent.
Parent material - slope alluvium, colluvium and residuum derived from granite bedrock.
Climate - long, cold winter; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 19 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 36 to 42 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 105 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability in the argillic horizon and moderately rapid in the Bk horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Jeffcity soils are primarily used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly rough fescue, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, fringed sagewort, vetch, big sagebrush, rubber rabbitbrush, and broom snakeweed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Jeffcity soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Montana, 1998.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT1567, MT3051. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 7 inches (A horizon); an argillic horizon from 7 to 14 inches (Bt horizon); a particle-size control section from 7 to 14 inches (Bt horizon); a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate from 14 to 33 inches (Bk horizon); a layer of decomposed granite bedrock (grus) from 33 to 38 inches (Cr horizon); hard granite bedrock at 38 inches (R horizon). Jeffcity soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.