LOCATION MIGUEL TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, hyperthermic Typic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Miguel fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine granular; very hard, friable; many fine roots, few insect tunnels, slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist, with common medium, distinct reddish brown (5YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation; compound strong medium prismatic and moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many fine roots; few fine pores; dark coatings on surfaces of prisms; common thick continuous clay films on surfaces of peds; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--13 to 29 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; many fine faint yellowish red masses of iron accumulation; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm; plastic and sticky; few fine roots between peds; few fine pores; common thick continuous clay films on surfaces of peds; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--29 to 33 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sandy clay, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to fine subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; sticky and plastic; few continuous clay films on surfaces of peds; few fine weakly cemented calcium carbonate concretions; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt subhorizons is 15 to 45 inches)
Btk2--33 to 45 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sandy clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds and in pores; 3 percent weakly cemented calcium carbonate concretions; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
BC--45 to 60 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) sandy clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Jim Wells County, Texas; From the intersection of U. S. Highway 281 and Texas Highway 44 in Alice; 6.25 miles south on U. S. Highway 281; 1.7 miles west on Farm Market Road 625; 1/2 mile north and 1/2 mile west in native rangeland.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates ranges from 28 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5, chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bt horizons have hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 2 to 6. Redox concentrations are common or many, fine or medium in shades of brown, red, or yellow. Texture is sandy clay, or clay, with a clay content of the upper 20 inches ranging from 35 to 50 percent. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Btk horizons have hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 5 or 6, chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is sandy clay loam or sandy clay. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Weakly cemented concretions and masses of calcium carbonate ranges from 2 to 10 percent by volume.
The BC horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 2 to 8. Texture is sandy clay loam or sandy clay. Reaction is slightly or moderately alkaline. Some pedons have C horizons with the same color, texture and reaction as the BC.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Floresville, Papalote, and Wilco series. Similar soils are the Axtell, Bastrop, Crockett, Delfina, Orelia, and Pedernales series. Floresville soils do not have redox concentrations. Papalote soils have redox depletions. Wilco soils do not have carbonates within 40 inches of the surface and have sandy A horizons. Axtell, Bastrop, Crockett, and Pedernales soils are in the thermic family. Delfina and Orelia soils have a fine-loamy control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Miguel soils are on stream terraces and upland plains. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent, dominantly less than 3 percent. Surfaces are plane to convex. The soil developed in clayey and loamy sediments. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 25 to 34 inches, and mean annual air temperatures range from 70 to 74 degrees F. Frost free days range from 275 to 300. Elevation ranges from 200 to 400 feet. Thornthwaite P-E indices range from 31 to about 44.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Clareville, Delfina, Edroy, Floresville, Orelia, Webb and Wilco series. Clareville, Edroy, and Orelia soils are in lower positions. In addition, Clareville soils have mollic epipedons and Edroy soils do not have an argillic horizon. Delfina, Floresville, Webb and Wilco soils are in similar positions. Webb soils have red subsoils without redoximorphic features.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is slow. Runoff is low on 0 to 1 percent slopes, medium on 1 to 5 percent slopes and high on 5 to 8 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas are cultivated to cotton, grain sorghum, peanuts, and flax. Most areas are in rangeland and improved pastures. Native grasses consist of little bluestem, feathery bluestem, Nash and hooded windmillgrass, Texas and plains bristlegrass. Invaders are mainly woody; they are mesquite trees, spiny hackberry, colima, and pricklypear.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern and Central Rio Grande Plains of Texas. This soil is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Frio County, Texas; 1929
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 10 inches. (A horizon)
Abrupt texture change at 10 inches.
Argillic horizon - 10 to 45 inches. (Bt and Btk horizons)
SOIL INTERPRETATION RECORD NUMBER: TX0358