LOCATION WESTWEGO           LA
Established Series
Rev. WLC:SDM
02/97

WESTWEGO SERIES


The Westwego series consist of deep, poorly drained, very slowly
permeable soils. They formed in semifluid clayey alluvium and
organic material that dried and shrank irreversibly in the upper
part as the result of artificial drainage. These soils are on
broad, drained former swamps along the lower Mississippi River and
its distributaries. Slopes range from 0 to 0.5 percent. These
soils are protected from flooding by a system of levees and are
artificially drained by pumps.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, nonacid, thermic, cracked Thapto-Histic Fluvaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Westwego clay on a drained former swamp-marsh
fringe area.
(Colors are for moist soil).

A1--0 to 3 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay; few fine
faint yellowish brown mottles; weak medium subangular blocky,
parting to moderate fine granular structure; friable; medium acid;
abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)

B21g--3 to 8 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; common medium
faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; weak coarse
subangular blocky structure; firm; cracks up to 1 centimeter wide
and root channels coated with very dark gray muck; medium acid;
abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

B22g--8 to 15 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) clay; weak coarse
prismatic structure; firm; root channels stained with dark brown;
cracks up to 1 centimeter wide between prisms; very strongly acid;
abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)

Abg--15 to 17 inches; black (N 2/0) mucky clay; weak moderate
subangular blocky structure; firm; common cracks up to 1
centimeter wide; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to
12 inches thick)

B23bg--17 to 21 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay; common fine
distinct dark yellowish brown mottles on faces of peds and in root
channels; moderate coarse prismatic structure; firm; cracks
between prisms up to 2 centimeter wide; strongly acid; abrupt wavy
boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

II02bg--21 to 36 inches; black (N 2/0) muck; massive; firm;
65 percent mineral; 10 percent fiber, less than 1 percent rubbed;
medium acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 22 inches thick)

IIIC1bg--36 to 68 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay; few coarse
prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; massive; flows
easily between fingers when squeezed leaving small residue; many
strata of dark gray (N 4/0) clay; 1 to 5 mm thick; moderately
alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 40 inches thick)

IIIC2bg--68 to 80 inches; stratified dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay
and very dark brown (10YR 2/2) muck; massive; flows easily between
fingers when squeezed leaving hand empty; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, in Avondale
Subdivision; 400 feet south of intersection of Janet and Ruth
Streets; 2800 feet south and 1200 feet east of the northwest
corner of sec. 43, T. 14 S., R. 22 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to semifluid layers ranges from
28 to 40 inches. Depth to an organic layer more than 8 inches
thick ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Reaction of the A, B, and O
horizons ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid. The C
horizon ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 or
2 or it is N 2/0 through N 4/0. Texture is clay, silty clay, muck
clay, or muck.

The Bg and Bbg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, 5BG, 5GY, or 5G,
value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 or it is N 2/0 through N 5/0. It
is clay, silty clay, or mucky clay.

The Ab horizon, where present, is neutral or it has hue of 10YR or
5Y; value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1. It is clay or mucky clay.

The O horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3, and
chroma of 1 or 2 or it is N 2/0 or N 3/0. It is sapric, hermic,
or fibric.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR to 5G, value of 2 to 5, and chroma
of 1 or 2. It is clay or mucky clay.

Competing Series: There are no other known series in this family.
Barbary, Fausse, Gentilly, and Scatlake are in similar families.
Barbary and Scatlake soils do not have a firm layer within the
control section. Fausse and Gentilly soils have firm underlying
layers.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Westwego soils are on drained areas between
the natural levees and marsh. The landscape was semifluid clayey
swamps and swamp-marsh transition prior to reclamation.
Elevations are generally 2 or 3 feet below sea level. Slope is
less than 0.5 percent. Near the type location the average annual
rainfall is about 65 inches and the mean annual temperature is
about 67 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Barbary
series and the Allemands and Sharkey series. The slightly lower
lying Allemands soils have organic surface layers 16 to 51 inches
thick. Sharkey soils at higher elevations have firm mineral
layers throughout the solum.

Drainage and Permeability: Westwego soils are poorly drained;
runoff is slow and permeability is very slow. The water table is
at a depth of 1 to 3 feet and is dependent on the pumping
procedures.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for urban land and pastureland.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Along the lower Mississippi River flood
plain and its distributaries. This soil is of small extent.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, May 1981.

REMARKS: Westwego soils have been published in special reports as
Barbary Variant clay, drained.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U. S. A.