LOCATION DALUPE             TX

DALUPE SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Fluventic Haplustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Dalupe fine sandy loam - rangeland.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 4 inches, brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam,
brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure;
slightly hard, friable; many roots, few thin strata less
than 1/4 inch thick of darker colored soil; calcareous,
moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 11
inches thick)

A2--4 to 10 inches, brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam,
dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure;
soft, very friable; common fine roots, few thin strata of
lighter colored sandy loam less than 1/2 inch thick;
calcareous, moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (6
to 19 inches thick)

Bw--10 to 37 inches, pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy
loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky
and granular structure; soft, very friable; few roots, many
fine pores, common wormcasts, few thin strata of darker
colored loamy soil, few films and threads of calcium
carbonate on surfaces of peds; calcareous, moderately
alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 33 inches thick)

C--37 to 60 inches, brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam,
dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; structureless; soft, very
friable; many thin strata of loam, sandy clay loam, and
loamy sand materials; calcareous; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Dallam County, Texas; 9 miles northwest of
Dalhart, Texas, on U.S. Highway 87 to north side of Rita
Blanca Creek, then 150 feet east of highway right-of-way and
300 feet north of creek.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges
from 30 to 58 inches. The control section contains 8 to 18
percent clay with more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser.

The A horizon is dark grayish brown to light brown in hue of
7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 and chroma of 2 through
4. Where the moist value and chroma are less than 3.5, the
thickness is less than 10 inches. The A horizon is fine
sandy loam or loam.

The B horizon is grayish brown to light brown in hue of
7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 2 through
4. The B horizon is fine sandy loam with thin strata of
darker and lighter colored loam and loamy sand. Visible
calcium carbonate in this horizon ranges from 0 to about 5
percent.

The C horizon is dark yellowish brown to brown in hue of
7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 2 through 4.
This horizon is dominantly sandy loam or loamy sand, with
many thin strata of loam, sandy clay loam, and clay loam
materials.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cass, Corlena, Guadalupe,
Lincoln, Munjor, Pulaski, Yahola, and Zavala series. Cass
soils have a mollic epipedon. Corlena soils lack B horizons
and have textures of loamy fine sand or coarser in the
control section. Guadalupe, Lincoln, Pulaski, Yahola, and
Zavala soils have average annual soil temperatures greater
than 59 degrees F. Munjor, Pulaski, Yahola, and Zavala
soils lack B horizons. Lincoln soils have textures of loamy
fine sand or coarser in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dalupe soils are on nearly level flood
plains. Most areas flood about once each 1 to 5 years for
short duration. They have formed in moderately coarse
textured calcareous alluvial materials. The climate is dry
subhumid or semiarid. The mean annual precipitation is 15
to 20 inches, and the P-E indices range from 24 to 33. The
mean annual air temperature at the type location is about 56
degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Corlena and Munjor series and the Berthoud, Humbarger
series. Berthoud and Humbarger soils have more than 18
percent clay in the control section. In addition, Berthoud
soils lack stratification and Humbarger soils have a mollic
epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff;
moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for rangeland. Native
vegetation consists of sideoats grama, blue grama, little
bluestem, switchgrass, and western wheatgrass. A few areas
are cropped to wheat and grain sorghum.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Along and north of the Canadian
River in Northwest Texas. Possibly in New Mexico and
Oklahoma. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dallam County, Texas; 1970.

REMARKS: The Dalupe series formerly would have been
classified in the Alluvial great soil group. Diagnostic
horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Ochric
epipedon 0 to 10 inches, Cambic horizon 10 to 37 inches.