LOCATION WESTBURY NY ME MI VTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Typic Fragiaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Westbury gravelly fine sandy loam on a 4 percent slope in an idle field. (Colors are for moist soil unless specified otherwise.)
Ap-- 0 to 8 inches, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) gravelly fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2), dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) organic stains in lower part; 20 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick.)
Bs-- 8 to 15 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly fine sandy loam; weak thick platy structure; firm; common fine roots; common fine pores; 15 percent rock fragments; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation, oriented horizontally; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick.)
E-- 15 to 20 inches, gray (10YR 6/1) gravelly fine sandy loam; weak thick platy structure; common fine pores; 15 percent rock fragments; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick.)
Bx-- 20 to 41 inches, brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly fine sandy loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure; firm, brittle; few fine pores; 25 percent rock fragments, 3 percent rock fragments greater than 3 inches in diameter; vertical wedges, 1 to 2-1/2 inches thick, that have gray (10YR 6/1) centers and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) borders along faces of prisms; common fine faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (12 to 38 inches thick.)
Cd-- 41 to 72 inches, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam; massive; slightly sticky; firm; 30 percent rock fragments, 5 percent coarse rock greater than 3 inches in diameter; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Oswego County, New York; Town of Redfield, 1 mile south of Salmon River Reservoir and 40 feet west of County Route 17. USGS Redfield, NY topographic quadrangle. Latitude 43 degrees, 30 minutes, 28 seconds N. and Longitude 75 degrees, 50 minutes, 58 seconds W. NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Depth to the top of the fragipan ranges from 10 through 24 inches. Rock fragments, principally gravel, cobblestones and stones, range from 5 to 35 percent by volume in the mineral soil above the fragipan and from 15 to 60 percent within the fragipan and substratum.
In undisturbed areas this soil has up to 6 inches of 0 horizon, 1 to 5 inches of fine sandy loam to loamy sand E horizon, and commonly 1 to 3 inches of silt loam through sandy loam Bh horizon in which mottling is faint or distinct.
The A or Ap horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam tthrough sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. It has weak to moderate granular structure and friable or very friable consistence. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through moderately acid.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. It ranges from silt loam through sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. It has weak granular, platy or subangular blocky structure, or the horizon is massive. It is friable or very friable. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through moderately acid. Some pedons have a thin Bh and/ or Bhs horizons.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y; value of 5 through 7, and chroma of 1 through 4. It ranges from loam to loamy sand in the fine- earth fraction. It has weak thin or medium platy structure, or it is massive. It is friable or firm and ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
Some pedons have an Ex horizon with hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand or loamy sand in fine-earth fraction. Some pedon also have a Ex/Bx horizon that replaces the Bx horizon.
The Bx horizon has hue of 5YR through 2.5Y; value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 4. It is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam in the fine-earth fraction. It has very coarse prismatic structure parting to platy structure or is massive within prisms, or has platy structure. It is firm or very firm, and ranges from very strongly acid through moderately acid.
The Cd horizon is similar to the Bx horizon in color and texture. It is massive and may have plate-like divisions or lenses. Consistence is firm or very firm. Some pedons have a C horizon that is more friable.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the only series in this family.
Similar soils in related families are the Cabot, Camroden, Crary, Dannemora, Empeyville and Peru series. Cabot and Dannemora soils have cambic horizons. Camroden soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Crary, Empeyville and Peru soils lack mottles in the upper part of the spodic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Westbury soils are nearly level to sloping soils on till plains. They formed in till derived principally from sandstone and similar acid siliceous rocks. Slope ranges from 0 to 25 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 50 inches; mean annual air temperature ranges from 41 degrees to 45 degrees F; and the growing season ranges from 90 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These soils are the competing Dannemora and Empeyville soils, and the Adams, Colton, Tughill and Worth soils. Adams and Colton soils formed in associated fluvial deposits on terraces. Dannemora and Tughill soils are poorly and very poorly drained and occur in depressions. Empeyville and Worth soils are moderately well drained and well drained respectively and are on adjacent higher knolls and ridges.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to moderate. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderate in the mineral surface layer and upper part of the subsoil, and slow or very slow in the fragipan and substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas that were previously cleared are now used only for unimproved pasture. Hay is the principal crop, but corn for silage is important locally and oats are grown in some cropping systems. Hardhack and meadow sweet are prominent in idle areas and pastures. Wood lots contain sugar and red maple, American beech, yellow birch, and some white pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern New York, Maine, upper eastern peninsula of Michigan, and Vermont. MLRA's 94B, 141, 142, 143, 144A, 144B. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wayne County, New York, 1919.
REMARKS: The original description at the typical pedon site had a C horizon, not a Cd horizon. It is questionable whether this change was correct. The Bs horizon met spodic chemistry criteria at the time of its selection as OSD typical pedon. It is recognized this pedon may not meet the new criteria.
It is doubtful that this series is used in 144A because it is frigid. This needs to be investigated in the MLRA 144A update.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon:
1. Umbric epipedon - the zone from the surface to depth of 8 inches (Ap horizon).
2. Spodic horizon - the zone from 8 to 15 inches (Bs horizon).
3. Fragipan - the zone from 20 to 41 inches (Bx horizon).
4. Aquic moisture regime - as evidenced by mottling in the upper part of the spodic horizon.