LOCATION WILHITE INEstablished Series
The Wilhite series consists of very deep, poorly drained or very poorly drained soils that formed in clayey alluvium. These soils are on backswamps and low-lying flood-plain steps. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C (54 degrees F). The mean annual precipitation is about 1118 mm (44 inches).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Wilhite silty clay loam on a level slope of about 0.5 percent in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 128 meters (420 feet) above MSL. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; firm; common fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (20 to 28 cm or 8 to 11 inches thick)
BAg--23 to 43 cm (9 to 17 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; few fine distinct brown (10YR 4/3) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm or 0 to 8 inches thick)
Bg1--43 to 66 cm (17 to 26 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; very firm; few fine roots; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; krotovinas about 0.6 to 0.5 meters (1.0 to 1.5 feet) apart filled with dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bg2--66 to 97 cm (26 to 38 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; very firm; few fine roots; few faint dark gray (10YR 4/1) organic coatings on faces of peds; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; krotovinas about 0.3 to 0.5 meters (1.0 to 1.5 feet) apart filled with dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bg horizons is 36 to 58 cm or 14 to 23 inches.)
BCg--97 to 119 cm (38 to 47 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; common distinct discontinuous gray (N 5/) organic coatings on faces of peds; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; krotovinas about 0.3 to 0.5 meters (1.0 to 1.5 feet) apart filled with dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (20 to 36 cm or 8 to 14 inches thick)
Cg--119 to 152 cm (47 to 60 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) and grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay; massive; very firm; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; many fine and medium black (10YR 2/1) iron and manganese concentrations; krotovinas about 0.3 to 0.5 meters (1.0 to 1.5 feet) apart filled with dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Pike County, Indiana; about 1/2 mile north of Bowman; 1,380 feet south and 1,400 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 19, T. 1 N., R. 8 W.; USGS Monroe City, Indiana topographic quadrangle; lat. 38 degrees 30 minutes 20 seconds N. and long. 087 degrees 20 minutes 48 seconds W.; UTM Zone 16, 469771 easting and 4261972 northing, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the cambic horizon: 76 to 130 cm or 30 to 50 inches
Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 30 to 48 percent
Sand content: 2 to 18 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid, and ranges to neutral in limed areas
Bg, BAg or BCg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y or is neutral
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Sand content: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y or is neutral
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Sand content: 2 to 15 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: The Oakta series is the only competing series. Oakta soils have a frost free season of less than 160 days, and have carbonates within 72 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wilhite soils are on backswamps and low-lying flood-plain steps. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. They formed in clayey alluvium. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1016 to 1143 mm (40 to 45 inches), and mean annual temperature ranges from 10.5 to 14 degrees C (51 to 57 degrees F). Frost free period is 170 to 210 days. Elevation ranges from 152 to 183 meters (500 to 600 feet) above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Armiesburg, Nolin, Petrolia, and Vincennes soils. The well drained Armiesburg and Nolin soils contain less clay in the series control section and are on higher-lying natural levees and flood-plain steps. The poorly drained Petrolia soils have less clay in the control series section and are on similar landforms. The poorly drained Vincennes soils have less clay in the series control section and are on slightly higher-lying flood-plain steps.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained or very poorly drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high (1.41 to 4.23 micrometers/s) in the upper part of the solum and moderately low or low (0.07 to 0.42 micrometers/s) in the substratum. Permeability is moderately slow in the upper part of the solum and very slow in the substratum. The potential for surface water runoff is negligible. In poorly drained areas the depth to an intermittent apparent high water table is from 0.3 meters (1 foot) above the surface to 0.3 meters (1 foot) below the surface from December to May. In undrained, very poorly drained areas the maximum ponding depth is 0.6 meters (2 feet) above the surface from November to June. Wilhite soils are subject to occasional or frequent periods of flooding.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas are drained and used for growing corn and soybeans. Non drained areas are in woodland or wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest and south-central Indiana. Series is of small extent, mainly in MLRAs 114A, 114B and 115A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pike County, Indiana, 1983.
REMARKS: Ponded and undrained phases are recognized.
Diagonstic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon: 0 to 23 cm or 0 to 9 inches (Ap horizon)
2) Cambic horizon: 23 to 119 cm or 9 to 47 inches (BAg, Bg1, Bg2, BCg horizons)
3) Redoximorphic features: 0 to 152 cm or 0 to 60 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA: Purdue Soil Characterization Lab data: Agricultural Experiment Station, Purdue University, Station Bulletin No. 412, File No. PK7914 (typical pedon); Station Bulletin No. 412, File Number JN8005; Station Bulletin No. 494, File NO. GB8218; Purdue Soils Laboratory pedon soil number S87IN119-04-(1-8). National Soil Survey Lab, Lincoln, NE, data: S90IN-119-001.