LOCATION WETBETH OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Udertic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wetbeth silty clay loam, cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; hard, firm; few fine roots throughout, and common very fine roots throughout; few fine discontinuous tubular pores; few fine rounded calcium carbonate concretions; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. ( 6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 13 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) silty clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm; few fine roots throughout and common very fine roots throughout; few fine discontinuous tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine rounded calcium carbonate concretions; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
Btss1--13 to 23 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) silty clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium and coarse angular blocky; very hard, very firm; few very fine roots throughout; few faint slickensides on horizontal faces of peds; few fine discontinous tubular pores; few distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine and medium rounded soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. ( 0 to 15 inches thick)
Btss2--23 to 36 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) silty clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; few fine faint brown (7.5YR 4/2) redoximorphic depletion masses; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium and coarse angular blocky: extremely hard, extremely firm; few very fine roots throughout; few fine discontinuous tubular pores; few distinct slickensides; few distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine and medium rounded soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 25 inches thick)
Bty1--36 to 47 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) silty clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; common fine faint brown (7.5YR 4/2), few very dark brown (10YR 2/2) redoximorphic depletion masses, and distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentration masses; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium and coarse angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine discontinuous tubular pores; ped caps coated with soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent in spots; few distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few prominent slickensides throughout; common fine irregular gypsum threads; few fine irregular masses of gypsum; few fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 26 inches thick)
Bty2--47 to 62 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) silty clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; hard, firm; few fine discontinuous tubular pores; cracks filled with darker material (10YR 4/1); matrix is slightly effervescent, but pockets are violent; common medium masses of selenite crystals; few fine concretions and soft masses of iron-manganese; very few distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common fine irregular gypsum threads; common medium rounded masses of gypsum; common fine irregular threads of calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 33 inches thick)
Bty3--62 to 76 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) silty clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; few fine distinct strong brown (7/5YR 5/6), brown 7.5YR 5/2), and medium red (2.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentration and depletion masses; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few fine discontinuous tubular pores; matrix is not effervescent, but pockets are strongly effervescent; few fine and medium masses of selenite crystals; very few distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine irregular masses of gypsum, and few fine irregular threads of gypsum; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (11 to 33 inches thick)
2Cy--76 to 85 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 5/2) redoximorphic depletion masses; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; cracks filled with reddish brown (5YR 4/3) material; common fine irregular threads of gypsum; common fine masses of selenite crystals; few fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; few fine rounded soft masses of iron-manganese; common fine rounded masses of gypsum; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Woods County, Oklahoma; about 1 mile south and 3/4 mile west of Capron; 800 feet east and 365 feet south of the northwest corner of Sec. 27, T. 28 N., R. 13 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 50 to more than 80 inches. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. This soil has an apparent water table that fluctuates from 30 inches below the surface in the wet seasons to more than 60 inches below the surface in the dry seasons. The 10 to 40 inch control section ranges from 35 to 50 percent clay content. These soils have cracks within 125 cm of the soil surface that are 5 mm or more wide through a thickness of 30 cm or more for some time in most years, and slickensides in a layer 15 cm or more thick that has its upper boundary within 125 cm of the soil surface and/or a linear extensibility of 6.0 cm or more between the mineral soil surface and a depth of 100 cm. This soil stays wet long enough that cracks do not open and close periodically to the surface. Reaction is moderately alkaline throughout. Depth to visible calcium carbonate ranges from 0 to 20 inches. Depth to visible gypsum ranges from 20 to 50 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is silty clay loam, silt loam or clay loam. The electrical conductivity of the saturation extract ranges from less than 1 to 4 mmhos/cm.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is silty clay. The clay content ranges from 40 to 50 percent. The electrical conductivity of the saturation extract ranges from 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
The Btss1 and Btss2 horizons have hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 4. Texture is silty clay, silty clay loam, or clay loam. The clay content ranges from 35 to 50 percent. Redoximorphic features as masses are present in shades of gray, brown, and red. Distinct and prominent pressure faces and slickensides are present. Gypsum ranges from 0 to 15 percent by volume as seams and masses. The electrical conductivity of the saturation extract ranges from 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
The Bty horizons has hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 2 through 6. Texture is silty clay, silty clay loam, clay, or clay loam. The clay content ranges from 35 to 45 percent. Redoximorphic features as masses are present in shades of gray, brown, and red. Distinct and prominent pressure faces and slickensides are present. Gypsum ranges from 5 to 15 percent by volume as seams and masses. The electrical conductivity of the saturation extract ranges from 4 to 16 mmhos/cm.
The C or 2C horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 5Y, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 1 to 6. Texture is variable and ranges from clay to sandy loam. Stratification may or may not be present. Redoximorphic features as masses are in shades of gray, brown, and red. The electrical conductivity of the saturation extract ranges from 4 to 16 mmhos/cm.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Brewer, Brewless, Dilworth, Piedmont, Renthin and Westsum series in the same family, and the Bethany series in a similar family. Brewer and Brewless soils are on floodplains and do not have a water table within 6 feet of the soil surface. Dilworth and Piedmont soils have shale bedrock within 40 inches of the surface. Renthin soils have shale bedrock within 60 inches of the soil surface. Westsum soils do not have a water table within 60 inches of the soil surface. Bethany soils do not decrease in clay content by more than 20 percent from the maximum within 60 inches, lack a water table within 72 inches, and COLE is less than 0.07.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wetbeth soils are in nearly level treads of terraces in the Central Rolling Red Prairies. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. They formed in old alluvium of Pleistocene age. Mean Annual Precipitation: 27 to 34 inches. Mean Annual Temperature: 57 to 62 degrees F. Thornthwaite Annual P-E indices: 44 to 52. Frost free days range from 190 to 220.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Bethany series and the Pond Creek, Tabler, and Waynoka series. Pond Creek and Waynoka soils are on slightly higher positions and have less than 35 percent clay content in the textural control section. Tabler soils are on similar positions, but have smectitic mineralogy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Wetbeth soils are somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is negligible to low and permeability is slow. An apparent water table fluctuates from 30 inches below the surface in winter and spring months to more than 60 inches during summer months.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are used for wheat or alfalfa. Native vegetation was Little Bluestem, Sand Bluestem, Indiangrass, and Switchgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Rolling Red Prairies (MLRA 80A) of Oklahoma and possibly Kansas. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Woods County, Oklahoma; 1995. The name is an acronym from Wet and Bethany.
REMARKS: These soils were included with Pond Creek and Foard series in older published soil surveys.
Diagnostic features:
Mollic epipedon- The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 13 inches.
Argillic horizon- the zone from 6 inches to a depth of 76 inches. (Bt horizons)
Gypsic accumulation- the zone from 36 inches to 85 inches.
Lithologic discontinuity - the occurrence of material different in age at a depth of 76 inches.
Unpublished laboratory data (NSSL No: 89P39635-89P39705) is available for this pedon.