LOCATION WIEHL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Wiehl very fine sandy loam.
Ap1--0 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick.)
Ap2--6 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--14 to 29 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
Bk--29 to 36 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; 30 percent semi-consolidated sandstone fragments; few very fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); slightly effervescent; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
2Cr--36 to 46 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) semiconsolidated sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Washington; Block 14, Farm Unit 119, 2,550 feet east, 1,150 feet south of NW corner of Section 5, T.12 N., R.30 E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 50 to 56 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in all parts between depths of 8 and 24 inches or the paralithic contact if shallower. Depth to a paralithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The particle size control section averages more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser and has 0 to 25 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry or moist. It is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or silt loam.
The Bk horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry or moist. It is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam, or gravelly silt loam. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 to 5 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adkins, Bijorja, Chedehap, Clems, Crestline, Haybourne, Irrigon, Kecko, McClenden, Prosser, Rebel, Royal, Sagehill, Scooteney, Sohappy, and Vining series. Adkins, Chedehap, Clems, Crestline, Haybourne, Kecko, McClenden, Rebel, Royal, Sagehill, Scooteney, and Sohappy soils are more than 40 inches deep. Bijorja soils are gravelly coarse sandy loam in the B horizon and are 20 to 40 inches to weathered granodiorite. Prosser and Vining soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Irrigon soils are neutral and have a paralithic contact with tuffaceous sandstone.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wiehl soils occur on terraces and escarpments at elevations of 400 to 1,200 feet. Slopes are 0 to 65 percent. The soils formed in poorly sorted eolian deposits overlying semi-consolidated Ringold deposits or Ellensburg formation. These soils occur in an arid climate with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The annual precipitation is 6 to 9 inches. The average January temperature is 27 degrees F.; the average July temperature is 73 degrees F.; and the average annual temperature is 50 to 53 degrees F. The frost free season is 140 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Taunton soils and the competing Royal soils. Taunton soils have a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly irrigated cropland. Some areas are in a native range. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, big sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, and rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Washington. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Adams County, Washington, 1966.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons or features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 14 inches, a cambic horizon from 14 to 29 inches, a zone of lime accumulation from 29 to 36 inches, and a paralithic contact at 36 inches. This descriptions reflects a change in type location. This soil is reclassified based on amendment 17 of Soil Taxonomy.