LOCATION JUDITH MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, carbonatic, frigid Typic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Judith gravelly clay loams, cultivated (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and very fine roots, common medium roots, and few coarse roots; many fine and very fine pores; 10 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and very fine roots, common medium roots and few coarse roots; many fine and very fine pores and few medium pores; 5 percent pebbles; continuous distinct lime coating on undersides of pebbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bk1--9 to 17 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and very fine roots, common medium roots, and few coarse roots; many fine and very fine pores and few medium pores; 5 percent pebbles; common faint and distinct masses of lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
Bk2--17 to 24 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common medium, fine, and very fine roots and few coarse roots; many fine and very fine pores; 10 percent pebbles; disseminated lime, many faint and distinct masses of lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
2Bk3--24 to 46 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium, fine, and very fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; 65 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; continuous distinct lime coatings on rock fragments; some weak calcium carbonate cementation between rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 46 inches thick)
2Bk4--46 to 83 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, fine, and very fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; 70 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles; few distinct lime coatings on rock fragments with some cementation by calcium carbonate between rock fragments; disseminated lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (0 to 40 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Fergus County, Montana; 1,400 feet east and 1,240 feet south of the NW corner of sec. 16, T. 14 N., R. 23 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 41 to 46 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 12 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon - 9 to 12 inches.
Depth to 2Bk3 horizon - mainly 23 to 32 inches, but ranges from 23 to 38 inches.
Ap horizon - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, or 3
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles, 5 to 25 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Bw horizon - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles, 5 to 25 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
Bk1, Bk2 horizons - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent (10 to 20 percent noncarbonate clay)
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles, 5 to 25 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate content: 40 to 60 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
2Bk3, 2Bk4 horizons - Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent (10 to 20 percent noncarbonate clay)
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent--10 to 20 percent cobbles, 25 to 60 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate content: 40 to 60 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES:
Judell (MT) - does not have loamy-skeletal materials above a depth of 40 inches; does not average more than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
Trulon (MT) - 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact of limeston.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - stream terraces; alluvial fans.
Elevation - 3,250 to 4,700 feet.
Slope - 0 to 15 percent.
Parent material - alluvium or colluvium derived mainly from limestone, but also from other rocks that contain large amounts of calcium carbonate.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 14 to 19 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 90 to 125 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability to the 2Bk3 horizons and moderately rapid permeability below.
USE AND VEGETATION: Judith soils are used mainly for dryland crops, pasture, and rangeland; some areas are used for irrigated crops. Potential native vegetation is mainly green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, needleandthread, blue grama, prairie junegrass, forbs, and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Judith soils are extensive mainly in central Montana.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Central Montana, 1946.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation records: MT0104, MT0145, MT1075, MT0718, MT0219. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 9 inches (Ap, Bw horizons); a calcic horizon from 9 to 83 inches (Bk1, Bk2, 2Bk3, 2Bk4 horizons); a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (Bk1, Bk2, 2Bk3 horizons). Judith soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.