LOCATION WORLEY IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Mollic Palexeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Worley silt loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky parting to moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine, few fine tubular pores; medium acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick)
A12--7 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, weak and moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky parting to weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine, few fine tubular pores; medium acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
A13--14 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine, common fine tubular pores; medium acid (pH 5.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
A2--19 to 20 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common 1 to 2 mm. black concretions; medium acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
B2lt--20 to 40 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate very fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common 1 to 2 mm. black concretions; thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; medium acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 20 inches thick)
B22t--40 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; many thick continuous clay films; few very fine pores; thick lime coatings on faces of peds (lime covers clay films); many black concretions, less than 2 mm. in diameter; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Benewah County, Idaho; 800 feet east and 400 feet north of the southwest corner of the NW 1/4 section 9, T.46N., R.5W.; 11 percent south-facing slope.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature ranges from 49 to 51 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry for more than 45 consecutive days in mid and late summer. The base saturation is 30 to 50 percent in the upper 16 inches and 60 to 80 percent in the B2 horizons.
The A1 horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. The A2 has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The B2t has value of 5 or 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist.
COMPETING SERIES: These are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The soils are on narrow ridge tops of dissected loess-covered hills. Elevations range from 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 deep loess. The climate is subhumid and has an average annual precipitation of 22 to 25 inches including about 4 feet of snow. The frost-free season ranges from 110 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Caldwell, Larkin, Pedee, Southwick, and Taney soils. Caldwell soils are somewhat poorly drained. Larkin soils lack an A2 horizon. Pedee soils average more than 35 percent coarse fragments between depth of 10 and 40 inches. Southwick soils are fine-silty.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; medium to rapid runoff; very slow permeability.
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: Benewah, Kootenai, and Latah Counties, Idaho. The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Benewah County, Idaho, 1975.