LOCATION WEYMOUTH TX+OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Weymouth clay loam - rangeland.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 6 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish grown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine granular and subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; common fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 18 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; common fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; common medium worm casts; few fine calcium carbonate concretions and a few films and threads of calcium carbonate; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bk--18 to 30 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; about 15 percent by volume of fine to medium bodies and concretions of calcium carbonate; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
C--30 to 60 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) partially weathered, massive, calcareous clayey shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Childress County, Texas; 2.2 miles east of the village of Kirkland on U.S. Highway 287, 2.6 miles south on county road, 0.1 mile east on county road, 50 feet north of road, in rangeland.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum to the C horizon range from 20 to 40 inches. Typically these soils are calcareous to the surface, but some pedons are noncalcareous in the upper few inches. Depth to the zone of maximum calcium carbonate accumulation is 12 to 24 inches. The clay content of the 10- to 40-inch control section is 20 to 35 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. When moist value and chroma is less than 3.5, this horizon is less than 7 inches thick. It is loam or clay loam.
The B horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 through 6. Texture is clay loam, loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 4 through 6. It is loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam. Visible segregated calcium carbonate makes up 5 to 35 percent of the volume.
The C horizon is red, reddish brown, light reddish brown, or yellowish red in hues of 2.5YR and 5YR. It is partially weathered silty, sandy or clayey redbeds.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Case, Ruella, and Shep series in the same family and the similar Aspermont, Berda, Karnes, Obaro, Owens, Veal, Vernon, and Woodward series. The Case soils have more than 40 percent calcium carbonate in the calcic horizon and are formed in calcified plains sediments. The Ruella soils lack calcic horizons and are formed in loamy, reddish, calcareous old alluvium. The Shep soils are formed in calcareous, loamy alluvial-colluvial sediments that contain siliceous and limestone pebbles. Aspermont and Obaro soils have less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand in the 10- to 40-inch control section. Berda soils have a thicker solum and less distinct zone of calcium carbonate accumulation. Karnes and Veal soils have more than 40 percent calcium carbonate in the 10- to 40-inch control section. Owens soils lack a calcic horizon, are less red in color and have more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Vernon soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Woodward soils have less than 18 percent clay in the 10- to 40-inch control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Weymouth soils are on uplands. Slopes are dominantly 1 to 5 percent, but range from 1 to 15 percent. The soil formed in dominantly clayey shales of Permian or Triassic age and in a few places, pedi-sediments from these rocks. The climate is dry subhumid. Average annual precipitation is 20 to 26 inches. Thornthwaite annual P-E indices are 28 to 40, and mean annual temperature is 61 to 72 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar Aspermont, Obaro, Vernon and Woodward series, and the Acuff, Bukreek, Lutie, Olton, Sagerton, and Wichita soils. These latter soils have Bt horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately permeable.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cropland and native grassland. Some gently sloping areas are mainly farmed. Small grain and sorghum are the principal crops. Rangeland vegetation is mostly sideoats and bluegrama and in the drier areas buffalograss and hairy grama. Widely spaced mesquite trees or shrubs are on most areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West Texas and western Oklahoma in the Rolling Plains. The series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Potter County, Texas; 1929.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the A horizon from 0 to 6 inches.
Cambic horizon - the Bw horizon from 6 to 18 inches.
Calcic horizon - the Bk horizon from 18 to 30 inches.
Underlying material - too soft to be a Cr horizon. Most clods slake in water in less than 1 hour. This material can be dug with a light duty backhoe.