LOCATION MEAGHER MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Meagher loam, 2 percent slope in nonirrigated cropland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine granular; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
Bt--6 to 15 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; continuous distinct brown (10YR 5/3) clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bk1--15 to 29 inches; white (10YR 8/2) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many ver+y fine tubular and interstitial pores; 5 percent pebbles; disseminated lime, many distinct and faint coatings of lime on faces of peds, common fine masses of lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (9 to 20 inches thick)
2Bk2--29 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 40 percent pebbles; continuous faint lime coatings on pebbles; disseminated lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Meagher County, Montana; 1,900 feet north and 50 feet west of the SE corner of sec. 35, T. 8 N., R. 6 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 10 inches.
Depth to Bk horizons - 11 to 20 inches.
Depth to loamy-skeletal material - 20 to 35 inches.
A horizon - Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 15 percent cobbles and stones; 0 to 20 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bt horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles; 0 to 30 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bk1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 7 or 8 dry; 5, 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles; 5 to 30 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
2Bk2 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 7 or 8 dry; 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam, sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles; 35 to 60 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Absarook (MT) - has a lithic contact of sandstone at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Beartooth (MT) - has loamy-skeletal material directly underlying the argillic horizon; has an Oi horizon consisting of forest litter.
Beeno (WY) - has a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Bielenberg (MT) - is noncalcareous throughout the profile.
Bookcliff (UT) - is calcareous at a depth of 4 inches; has hard sandstone bedrock at a depth of 40 to 60 inches.
Burtoner (MT) - has a paralithic and lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
Clancy (MT) - has a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Clasoil (MT) - does not have a lithologic discontinuity; does not have a calcic horizon.
Dooley (MT) - has till above a depth of 40 inches that has a bulk density greater than 1.6; does not have a calcic horizon; does not have a discontinuity that is loamy-skeletal.
Empedrado (CO) - has argillic horizons as deep as 20 to 40 inches; depth to lime is usually deeper than 24 inches; does not have a loamy-skeletal discontinuity.
Fairfield (MT) - does not have a discontinuity of loamy-skeletal material; depth to the calcic horizon is 9 to 11 inches.
Farnuf (MT) - does not have a calcic horizon.
Felor (SD) - has 2B horizons of silty clay below a depth of 28 inches; depth to carbonates is typically deeper than 30 inches; does not have loamy-skeletal material above a depth of 60 inches.
Greenway (SD) - has a high bulk density till above 60 inches that has 35 to 45 percent clay.
Gurney (SD) - has a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Hangdo (UT) - does not have a Bk horizon or free carbonates above a depth of 40 inches.
Hoppers (MT) - has a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
Hyalite (MT) - has a sandy-skeletal discontinuity above a depth of 40 inches.
Jeffcity (MT) - has a paralithic contact of grus at depths of 20 to 38 inches; has a lithic contact of granite at depthis of 23 to 40 inches.
Kokoruda (MT) - does not have Bk horizons; does not have a lithologic discontinuity.
Livona (ND) - does not have loamy-skeletal material above a depth of 60 inches; has a discontinuity in the argillic horizon.
Martinsdale (MT) - does not have a discontinuity of loamy-skeletal material; has a frost-free season of 100 days or more; has carbonates in the lower part of the argillic horizon.
Maudlin (CO) - has a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Moen (CO) - has a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Pianohill (MT) - has a lithic contact of volcanic mudflow breccia at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Placerton (MT) - has a lithic contact above a depth of 60 inches.
Reeder (ND) - has a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Reedwest (MT) - has a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
Snakejohn (UT) - has a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches.
Sponseller (AZ) - is noncalcareous throughout the profile.
Tragmon (CO) - does not have Bk horizons; is neutral to slightly acid throughout the profile.
Trazuni (NM) - does not have Bk horizons; is neutral to slightly acid throughout the profile.
Ulrant (WY) - does not have a discontinuity of loamy-skeletal material.
Vida (MT) - has till above a depth of 40 inches that has a bulk density greater than 1.6; is less than 10 inches deep to carbonates; does not have a loamy-skeletal discontinuity above a depth of 60 inches; does not have a calcic horizon.
Watne (MT) - does not have a lithologic discontinuity.
Watrous (ND) - has a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Williams (ND) - does not have a discontinuity of loamy-skeletal material above a depth of 60 inches.
Yegen (MT) - has sandy clay loam argillic horizons; has 35 to 50 percent sand coarser than very fine sand; does not have a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - alluvial fans; stream terraces; escarpments.
Elevation - 4,000 to 6,000 feet.
Parent material - alluvium or colluvium.
Slope - 0 to 35 percent.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; short summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 14 to 19 inches, most of which falls during spring and early summer.
Mean annual air temperature - 38 to 43 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 120 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Meagher soils are used for rangeland and irrigated and nonirrigated cropland. The potential native vegetation is mainly rough fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, prairie junegrass, forbs, and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Meagher soils are of small extent mainly in west-central Montana.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gallatin County, Montana 1997; proposed Meagher County, Montana, 1991.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT1390, MT1391. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 7 inches, mixed (Ap, Bt horizons); an argillic horizon from 6 to 15 inches (Bt horizon); a calcic horizon from 15 to 60 inches (Bk1, 2Bk2 horizons); a loamy-skeletal discontinuity from 29 to 60 inches (2Bk2 horizon). Meagher soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.