LOCATION WORLEY                  ID

Established Series
Rev. AEK/GHL/TDT
02/2011

WORLEY SERIES

The Worley series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in loess. Worley soils are on narrow ridge tops of dissected plains and hills and have slopes of 5 to 35 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 23 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F..

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Mollic Palexeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Worley silt loam. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 1.5 inches; slightly decomposed plant material consisting of needles and twigs; clear smooth boundary.

Oe--1.5 to 2 inches; moderately decomposed plant material consisting of needles and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary.

A1--2 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)

A2--7 to 11 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine and few medium fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

A3--11 to 16 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine, medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)

E--16 to 18 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)

Bt--18 to 39 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silty clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to medium and coarse angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and few coarse roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; common fine soft manganese concretions; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and in pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 21 inches thick)

Btk1--39 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; many prominent clay films on ped faces and in pores; thick carbonate coatings covering clay films, primarily on vertical faces of peds; many fine manganese concretions; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual irregular boundary. (10 to 22 inches thick)

Btk2--60 to 82 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; many prominent clay films on ped faces; thick carbonate coatings covering clay films, primarily on vertical faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Kootenai County, Idaho; about 2 miles northwest of Worley, about 700 feet east and 1.320 feet north of the southwest corner of section 15, T.47N., R.5W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 49 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days in mid and late summer. The umbric epipedon is 12 to 20 inches thick. Depth to the Btk and secondary carbonates is 35 to 45 inches. Depth to the argillic (Bt) horizon is 15 to 22 inches. There is a perched water table above the Bt horizon in the spring.

The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam with 15 to 25 percent clay. It has 2 to 4 percent organic matter throughout. Base saturation is 30 to 50 percent.

The E horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Base saturation is 40 to 50 percent

The Bt and Btk horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist. The upper part (Bt) is silty clay with 40 to 50 percent clay and is moderately alkaline with a base saturation of 50 to 70 percent. The lower part (Btk) is silty clay loam in with 30 to 40 percent clay and is neutral with base saturation of 70 to 90 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Mccue series. McCue soils are dry for 90 to 105 consecutive days and have a duripan at depths of 40 to 60 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The soils are on narrow ridge tops of dissected hills and plains. Elevation are 2,300 to 2,800 feet. Slopes range from 5 to 35 percent but most areas have slopes between 10 and 25 percent. Most areas have a south aspect. The soils formed in loess. The climate is subhumid and has a mean annual precipitation of 22 to 25 inches and a mean annual temperature of 49 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free period is 110 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Caldwell, Larkin, Pedee, Southwick, and Taney soils. Caldwell soils are on flood plains and have a mollic epipedon. Larkin, Southwick and Taney soils are fine-silty and have a mollic epipedon. Pedee soils are cley-skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; medium to rapid runoff; very slow permeability. There is perched water table above the Bt horizon from about February to April.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are wheat, peas, hay, and pasture. The native overstory vegetation is ponderosa pine. Understory is common snowberry, Nootka rose, wood rose, and white spierea.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kootenai County Area, Idaho. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Benewah County, Idaho, 1975.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon--2 to 16 inches
Argillic horizon--18 to 82 inches
Abrupt clay increase between the E and Bt horizon of 15 percent absolute and there is no relative decrease in clay of 20 percent or more betwen the Bt and the lower part of the Btk horizons.

In 02/2011 the type location was moved from Benewah County Area, Idaho to Kootenai County Area, Idaho as in the extensive revision of the Benewah surevy area the series was not recognized.

Further investigation is needed as to presense and strength of Vitrandic surface properties.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data from University of Idaho for the typical pedon; sample number 71 Ida 2812.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.