LOCATION WESTBURY NY+ME MI VT
Established Series
Rev. MGC-LWK-TDT
04/2013
WESTBURY SERIES
The Westbury series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in till derived from sandstone, siltstone and shale. Saturated hydraulic conductivity in the mineral material is moderately high or high above the fragipan and low to moderately high in the fragipan and substratum. Slope ranges from 0 to 25 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1476 mm, and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Typic Fragiaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Westbury very fine sandy loam on a 2 percent slope, forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless specified otherwise.)
Oa -- 0 to 10 cm; black (7.5YR 2.5/1) highly decomposed plant material; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; ultra acid (pH 2.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (Thickness of the O horizon is 0 to 18 cm.)
E -- 10 to 15 cm; gray (7.5YR 5/1) very fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; 7 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 3.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (Thickness of the E horizon is 0 to 15 cm.)
Bh -- 15 to 19 cm; black (7.5YR 2.5/1) very fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; weakly smeary; common fine and medium roots throughout; 3 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 3.6); abrupt wavy boundary.
Bs1 -- 19 to 28 cm; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; weakly smeary; common fine and medium roots throughout; 30 percent distinct black (7.5YR2.5/1), organic stains on surfaces along root channels; 3 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 3.7); clear wavy boundary.
Bs2 -- 28 to 42 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; weakly smeary; many fine and medium and very few coarse roots throughout; 30 percent prominent black (7.5YR2.5/1), organic stains on surfaces along root channels; 3 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 3.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bs3 -- 42 to 62 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine and medium and very few coarse roots throughout; 60 percent distinct black (7.5YR2.5/1)) organic stains on surfaces along root channels; 2 percent prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron in matrix and 2 percent faint brown (7.5YR 5/2) masses of reduced iron in matrix; 3 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 4.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bh and Bs horizons is 10 to 60 cm.)
B/E -- 62 to 77 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) very gravelly loamy fine sand; weak thick platy structure; friable; very few fine and medium roots in cracks; 2 percent fine distinct 7.5YR 3/6, moist, masses of oxidized iron in matrix and 2 percent fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/2) masses of reduced iron in matrix; 2 percent stones, 3 percent flagstones, 3 percent cobbles, 5 percent channers and 25 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 4.2); clear irregular boundary. (Thickness of the B/E horizon is 0 to 20 cm.)
Bx -- 77 to 150 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure; firm; brittle; 2 percent silt coats on surfaces along pores; medium faint light brown (7.5YR 6/3) masses of reduced iron between peds and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds; 1 percent stones, 3 percent channers, 3 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6) water; abrupt wavy boundary. (Thickness of the Bx horizon is 25 to 97 cm.)
C -- 150 to 170 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand; structureless massive; very friable; 2 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Lewis County, New York; Town of Osceola; approx. 0.5 miles west of the Camp Four Rd.; USGS North Osceola, NY topographic quadrangle; Lat. 43 degrees, 34 minutes, 32.322 seconds N. and Long. 75 degrees, 37 minutes, 46.818 seconds W.; NAD 1983.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Bedrock is at a depth greater than 152 cm. Thickness of the solum ranges from 80 to 160 cm. Depth to the top of the fragipan from the soil surface ranges from 25 to 77 cm. Rock fragments, principally gravel, cobblestones and stones, range from 1 to 40 percent, by volume, in the mineral solum above the fragipan and from 12 to 70 percent within the fragipan and substratum.
Most pedons have an O horizon. It has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 2 to 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is highly, moderately, or slightly decomposed (fibric, hemic or sapric). Structure is granular or massive. Consistence is very friable or friable. Reaction ranges from ultra acid to slightly acid.
The A or Ap horizons, where present, have hues of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam through sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is granular or subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable or friable. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through slightly acid.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 1 through 4. It has textures of loam through loamy sand in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is granular or subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable or friable. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through slightly acid.
The Bh horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 2 through 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture ranges from silt loam to sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is granular or subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable or friable. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through slightly acid.
The Bhs horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 3 and chroma of 3. Texture ranges from silt loam through sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is granular or subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable or friable. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through slightly acid.
The Bs horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR through 10YR, with value or chroma of 4 or more. Textures range from silt loam through loamy very fine sand in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is granular or subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable through firm. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through slightly acid.
The B/E or B/C horizon has hue of 5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is very fine sandy loam through loamy sand in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is subangular blocky, platy, or prismatic. Consistence is friable or firm. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through slightly acid.
Some pedons have an E' with hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 2 through 4. The texture ranges from loam through loamy sand in the fine earth fraction. Structure is platy or prismatic. Consistence is friable or firm. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through slightly acid.
The Bx horizon has hue of 5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 4. The texture ranges from loam through loamy fine sand. Structure is prismatic or platy, or is massive. Consistence is firm or very firm. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through slightly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 4. The textures range from very fine sandy loam through loamy sand. It is massive, with or without plate-like divisions. Consistence is very friable through firm. Some pedons have pockets of very firm material. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the only series in this family.
Similar soils in related families are the
Cabot,
Camroden,
Crary,
Dannemora,
Empeyville, and
Peru series. Cabot and Dannemora soils have cambic horizons. Camroden soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Crary, Empeyville, and Peru soils lack mottles in the upper part of the spodic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Westbury soils are formed in till derived principally from sandstone, siltstone and shale. Slope ranges from 0 to 25 percent, but is mainly 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 1727 mm, mean annual air temperature ranges from 1 to 11 degrees C, and mean annual frost-free days ranges from 90 to 140 days. Elevation ranges from 305 to 610 meters above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These soils are
Dannemora,
Empeyville,
Fishcreek (T),
Highmarket (T),
Swancott (T),
Tughill, and
Worth soils. The Fishcreek (T) and Swancott (T) and soils are Sandy and Sandy-skeletal respectively, and are found on associated outwash deposits on terraces. Highmarket (T) soils are well drained and lack a fragipan. Dannemora and Tughill soils are poorly and very poorly drained and occur in depressions. Empeyville and Worth soils are moderately well drained and well drained respectively and are on adjacent higher knolls and ridges.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to moderate. Saturated hydraulic conductivity in the mineral material is moderately high or high above the fragipan and low to moderately high in the fragipan and substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas that were previously cleared are now used only for unimproved pasture. Hay is the principal crop, but corn for silage is important locally, also oats are grown in some cropping systems. Hardhack and meadow sweet are prominent in idle areas and pastures. Wood lots contain sugar and red maple, American beech, yellow birch, and some white pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern New York, Maine, upper eastern peninsula of Michigan, and Vermont. MLRA's 141, 142, 143, 144A, 144B. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wayne County, New York, 1919.
REMARKS: It is doubtful that this series is used in 144A because it is frigid. This needs to be investigated in the MLRA 144A update.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon:
- Albic horizon: the zone from 10 to 15 cm deep (E)
- Spodic horizon - the zone from 15 to 42 cm (Bh, Bs1, Bs2)
- Fragipan - the zone from 77 to 150 cm (Bx)
- Aquic moisture regime - redoximorphic features within 50 cm of the mineral surface
ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon #10NY049029
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.