LOCATION WABEN AR+KS MOEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, siliceous, active, mesic Ultic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Waben very gravelly silt loam, 5 percent slope, forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--O to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly silt loam; strong fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; about 45 percent by volume angular chert fragments 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
E--5 to 15 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly silt loam; moderate medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; about 40 percent by volume angular chert fragments 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bt--15 to 40 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly silt loam; many coarse distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) mottles; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; thin patchy clay films on ped faces and chert fragments; about 60 percent by volume angular chert fragments 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 35 inches thick)
BC--40 to 72 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly silt loam; many coarse faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; about 70 percent by volume angular chert fragments 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Benton County, Arkansas; 2 miles south of Springtown and 50 feet north of gravel road; SE1/4NE1/4SW1/4, sec. 18, T. 17 N., R. 32W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to Bedrock: greater than 80 inches
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid throughout.
Particle size control section: averages 18 to 35 percent clay and 35 to 70 percent rock fragments.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 2 or 3
Fine-earth: silt loam or loam
Total rock fragments: 25 to 80 percent gravel
Note: When the color value is 3, the horizon is less than 6 inches thick.
Ap horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 or 4
Fine-earth: silt loam or loam
Total rock fragments: 25 to 80 percent gravel
E horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Fine-earth: silt loam or loam
Total rock fragments: 25 to 80 percent gravel
BE horizon (where present)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4
Fine-earth: silt loam or loam
Total rock fragments: 25 to 80 percent
Bt, 2Bt, or 3Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 or 6
Fine-earth: silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam
Total rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent; 35 to 75 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Note: Individual horizons may contain as few as 2 percent rock fragments.
BC horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 8
Fine-earth: silt loam or loam
Total rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Tilk series. Tilk soils average 40 to 60 percent fine and coarser sand in the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Waben soils are on gently sloping to moderately steep terraces, toe slopes and alluvial-colluvial fans in the Ozark Highlands and other areas with cherty limestone bedrock. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. The average annual temperature ranges from 54 to 57 degrees F and the average annual precipitation ranges from 42 to 46 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Clarksville and Noark soils and Britwater, Elsah, Nixa, and Secesh soils. Britwater soils, which are on broader stream terraces, contain less than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section. Elsah soils, which are on floodplains, do not have an argilic horizon. Nixa soils, which are on ridgetops, contains a fragipans and have lower base saturation. Secesh soils, which are on floodplains, contain less than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The runoff index is very low to low. Permeability is moderately rapid. The saturated hydraulic conductivity is high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cleared and used mainly for pasture and hay. Native vegetation was mixed hardwoods, mostly red oak, white oak, post oak, hickory and black walnut.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Ozarks Highlands region (MLRA 116A) of Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Benton County, Arkansas; 1973.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon - The zone from the surface to a depth of 15 inches (A and E horizons)
Argillic Horizon - The zone from 15 to 40 inches (Bt horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 15 to 35 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization of the type location by the University of Arkansas soil characterization laboratory. Pedon number S68AR-007-004.