LOCATION WEISSENFELS        WA
Established Series
Rev. HRG/RJE
11/2002

WEISSENFELS SERIES


The Weissenfels series consists of moderately deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in loess and slope alluvium from weathered basalt. Weissenfels soils are on basalt plateaus and have slopes of 3 to 30 percent. The average annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 15 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 51 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Duric Natrixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Weissenfels silt loam-cultivated on a 3 percent southwest facing slope at an elevation of 2,280 feet. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted)

Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse granular structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)

Btn1--7 to 12 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist with common very dark brown (10YR 2/2) organic coatings on ped faces; medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine exped roots; common very fine irregular pores; continuous moderately thick stress cutans and clay films on faces of peds and clay films lining some pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)

Btn2--12 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine exped roots; many very fine irregular pores; many thin stress cutans and clay films on faces of peds; clay films lining some pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)

Bk--15 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; common fine and medium coatings of lime lining pores and few irregular coarse very pale brown (10YR 8/3) masses of secondary lime; 5 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)

2Bkq1--22 to 25 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; discontinuous 1/16 inch thick lenses that are lime and silica cemented; 25 percent pebble size indurated durinodes and lime-silica coated basalt pebbles and 15 percent lime-coated basalt cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)

2Bkq2--25 to 37 inches; white (10YR 8/1) very gravelly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 25 percent pebble-size durinodes and lime-silica coated basalt pebbles and 10 percent lime-silica coated basalt cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH8.6) abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

3R--37 inches; basalt

TYPE LOCATION: Asotin County, Washington; about 6 miles southwest of Asotin; 300 feet west and 1,000 feet south of northeast corner of sec. 4, T. 9 N., R. 45 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a calcic horizon is 20 to 30 inches. A lithic contact is at a depth of 25 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is about 52 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between 4 and 12 inches for 90 to 105 consecutive days during summer and fall. The natric horizon averages 35 to 45 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and ESP of 15 to 30. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 15 inches thick and includes part of the natric horizon. Some pedons have a thin E horizon just above the natric horizon.

The Btn1 horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist; and chroma of 2 or 3 dry. It has prismatic, subangular blocky, or columnar structure. It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

The Btn2 horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 moist. Reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

The Bk horizon is silt loam or gravelly silt loam. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

The Bkq horizon has value of 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist and chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist. It is very gravelly loam, very cobbly loam or gravelly loam. The coarse fragments include 20 to 50 percent lime-silica indurated fragments.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Neissenberg soils and the Wahtum soils. Neissenberg soils are dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days and have a mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 49 degrees F. The Wahtum soils are more than 40 inches deep to a lithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Weissenfels soils are on basalt plateaus. Slopes are 3 to 30 percent. These soils formed in loess and alluvium from weathered basalt. Elevation ranges from 1,200 to 2,700 feet. Summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and moist. The average annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 15 inches. Mean annual air temperature is about 51 degrees F. Frost-free season is 135 to 155 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY Associated soils They are the Bolicker, Nims, Olical and Spofford soils. Bolicker, Olical and Spofford soils have lithic contact at a depth greater than 40 inches. Nims soils lack a natric horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow to rapid runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland. Native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass and arrowleaf balsamroot.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Washington. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Asotin County, Washington 1984.

REMARKS: Laboratory analysis is available from Fredrick Peterson, Phd. Thesis, WSU, 1961. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 22 inches, a natric horizon from 7 to 15 inches, and a lithic contact at 37 inches.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.