LOCATION HONEYCREEK TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Honeycreek fine sandy loam,--in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise no.ted)
A1--0 to 9 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable; common fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; slightly acid,; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 19 inches thick)
A2--9 to 17 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine and medium roots; common fine and very fine and few coarse pores; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--17 to 25 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine roots; few fine and medium pores; clay bridging sand grains and few thin clay films in pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--25 to 37 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; common very fine and fine roots; thin patchy clay films; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--37 to 50 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5 YR4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; thin patchy clay films; about 20 percent by volume siliceous pebbles mainly less than 2 inches in diameter; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
BCt--50 to 56 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) gravelly fine sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; few very fine and fine pores; thin patchy clay films; about 20 percent by volume siliceous pebbles mainly less than 2 inches in diameter; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (the combined Bt horizons range from 30 to 50 inches thick)
Cr--56 to 66 inches; weathered schist bedrock; weak coarse platy structure that is tilted about 30 degrees from horizontal.
TYPE LOCATION: Llano County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highways 16 and 71 in Llano; 12.0 miles east on Texas 71 to Click county road; 5.8 miles west and south to the intersection of Oxford county road; 50 yards southwest of intersection in range: Latitude 30 degrees, 34 minutes, 00 seconds N; Longitude 98 degrees, 34 minutes, 15 seconds W.
RANGE OF CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum and depth to bedrock ranges from 40 to 60 inches. The average clay content of the control section ranges from 18 to 25 percent. The reaction is slightly acid or neutral throughout.
The A horizon has colors in shades of brown with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. The texture is sandy loam or fine sandy loam with clay content ranging from 6 to about 12 percent.
The argillic or Bt horizon has colors in hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 or 6. Some pedons have few to common mottles in shades of red, yellow, or brown. The texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 12 to 30 percent. Coarse fragments, consisting mainly of siliceous pebbles, range from 0 to 35 percent by volume. Fragments are mainly in the lower part of the argillic horizon, but some pedons have a few pebbles throughout.
The Cr layer is schist, schistose-gneiss or gneiss bedrock. It is commonly tilted 10 to 45 degrees from horizontal. The bedrock has colors mainly in shades of yellow or brown.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cobb, Lou, McKnight, Menard, and Rochelle series in the same family. Similar soils include the Castell, Katemcy, Lou, and the Ligon series. Cobb, Castell, Katemcy and Ligon soils are moderately deep. McKnight soils have calcium carbonate masses in the argillic horizon and contrasting materials at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Menard soils are more than 80 inches thick to bedrock. Rochelle soils are underlain with beds of sand and gravel within a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Honeycreek soils are in valley fill or terrace positions in areas underlain by schist or gneiss bedrock. Slopes range from 1 to 3 percent. The climate is dry subhumid. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 25 to 30 inches and mean annual air temperature ranges from 65 to 68 degrees F. Frost free days range from 215 to 230 and elevation ranges from 1000 to 1600 feet. Thornthwaite P-E indices range from 38 to 44.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Castell, Katemcy, and Ligon soils. Also associated are the Fieldcreek and Keese soils. Fieldcreek soils have a mollic epipedon and Keese soils are shallow to hard bedrock. Castell and Katemcy soils are on slightly higher similar positions. Fieldcreek soils are on lower bottomland positions. Keese and Ligon soils are on higher ridges and knolls.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; Permeability is moderate; Runoff is slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for improved pastureland and rangeland. The native vegetation includes little bluestem, Indiangrass, hooded windmill grass, vine mesquite, threeawn, sideoats grama, plains lovegrass, and pinhole bluestem with a few live oak, mesquite and Texas persimmon trees.
DISTRIBUTION: In the Central Basin of Texas. This series is of minor extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES PROPOSED: Llano County, Texas; 1988.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Llano County, Texas, 1990.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon - 0 to 17 inches, includes the A1 and A2 horizons.
Argillic Horizon - 17 to 56 inches, includes the Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 and BCt horizons.
Paralithic Contact of schist bedrock at a depth of 56 inches.