LOCATION HYE                TX

HYE SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplustalfs

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

A1--0 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky; common fine and medium roots; common fine pores; common fine wormcasts and burrows; few fine black concretions; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)

A2--12 to 18 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky; common fine roots; few fine and medium pores; common wormcasts; few fine black concretions; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

Bt1--18 to 26 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular structure; hard, friable; sticky; common fine roots; an estimated 20 percent by volume angular fragments of sandstone oriented in a horizontal line 2 inches thick; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; nearly continuous clay films on fragments of sandstone, common fine and medium concretions and darkened fragments of sandstone; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

Bt2--26 to 36 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium subangular and angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky; an estimated 10 percent angular fragments of sandstone that are less than 1/8 inch in diameter; common fine FeMn concretions; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; nearly continuous clay films on fragments of sandstone; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

R--36 to 40 inches; unweathered sandstone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Blanco County, Texas; 6.1 miles northwest of Round Mountain, Texas on Ranch Road 962, .7 mile southwest on the Round Mountain - Sandy Road, 150 feet southeast of the road in rangeland.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to sandstone ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The soil ranges from slightly acid to neutral. Some pedons have discontinuous stone lines 1/2 to 4 inches thick of sandstone.

The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 5, chroma of 3 to 6. It is fine sandy loam with clay content ranging from about 10 to 18 percent clay.

The B horizons have hues of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 4 to 6. Some pedons have brownish, yellowish, and grayish mottles below a depth of 30 inches. It is sandy clay loam or fine sandy loam with clay content ranging from 18 to about 32 percent.

The R layer, which roughly parallels the surface, is fractured at intervals of 2 to 12 feet, and has a hardness of more than 3 on Mohs scale.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cobb, Grandfield, Grandmore, Honeycreek, Lou, McKnight, Menard and Rochelle soils. Similar soils are Campair, Cisco, May, Stephenville and Weatherford. Cobb soils are dry in the moisture control section for longer periods and have carbonates in lower Bt. Lou soils contain 15 to 35 percent gravel in the Bt and are formed from granite grus. Cisco, Grandfield, Grandmore, Honeycreek, McKnight, May, Menard and Rochelle lack lithic contact with sandstone. Campair, Cisco, May, Stephenville and Weatherford have siliceous mineralogy.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hye soils occupy uplands with smooth concave slopes from 1 to 8 percent. The soil formed in loamy reddish sediments of the Hickory Sandstone member of Upper Cambrian Age. The climate is dry subhumid. The average annual precipitation is 24 to 34 inches and mean annual air temperature is 65 to 67 degrees F. Frost free period is 215 to 235 days and elevation ranges from 850 to 2,200 feet. The Thornthwaite P-E index is 40 to 46;

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Campair, Nebgen, Oben, Pedernales and Pontotoc soils. Nebgen soils occur on small ridges or knolls and they have sola that are less than 20 inches thick. Nebgen soils, lack Bt horizons. Oben and Pedernales soils occur on similar surfaces. Oben soils are less than 20 inches thick. Pedernales soils have Bt horizons with more than 35 percent clay in the upper 20 inches and have secondary carbonates in the lower Bt horizon. Pontotoc soils are redder and are more than 60 inches thick.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff, moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most is used for rangeland. Some is used for cropland. Crops grown are peanuts, small grain, and grain sorghum. Native vegetation is mainly little bluestem, sand lovegrass, and side oats grama in a live oak and post oak savannah.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mostly in the Central Basin of Central Texas. The series is not extensive with an estimated 10,000 acres.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Blanco County, Texas; 1977.

REMARKS: The Hye series was formerly included in the Cobb series which has a drier moisture regime. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0-18 inches (A horizon)

Argillic horizon: 18-36 inch layer (Bt horizons)

Lithic contact: Hard sandstone at 36 inches.