331Dc Belt Mountain Foothills

Landscape Characteristics:

Dissected foothills, plains, fans, and terraces that formed in alluvium and calcareous materials from shale and siltstone. Elevations range from 3500 to 5500 feet. Drainage density is moderate.

Climate:

Mean annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 19 inches, about 50 percent falling as snow. The soil temperature and moisture regimes are frigid and typic ustic. Chinook winds are very common.

Potential Vegetation:

Foothills prairie

Relationships of Dominant Map Unit Components:

Landform Geology Soil Taxa
Foothills Shale/siltstone Haploborolls/Paleboralfs/Torriorthents
Plains/terraces/fans Calcareous sediments/alluvium Calciborolls/Haploborolls

Disturbance and Land Use:

The primary natural disturbance is fire and wind. Land use is mostly livestock grazing with some cropland.