LOCATION SAGERTON TXEstablished Series
The Sagerton series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in calcareous loamy alluvium. These nearly level to gently sloping soils are on alluvial plains. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sagerton clay loam--cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots; few siliceous pebbles; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; thin continuous clay films on surfaces of peds; few siliceous pebbles; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--15 to 25 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds; common wormcasts; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
Btk1--25 to 36 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds; few films and threads and common masses and concretions of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Btk2--36 to 62 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds; contains estimated 30 to 40 percent calcium carbonate masses and concretions; concretions are 1/4 to 1 inch in diameter; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (12 to 30 inches thick)
Btk3--62 to 80 inches; light red (2.5YR 6/6) clay loam, red (2.5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; contains 3 to 5 percent calcium carbonate; few siliceous pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline;
TYPE LOCATION: Cottle County, Texas; from intersection of Farm Road 1038 and U. S. Highway 83 in south edge of Paducah, proceed 1.8 miles east and 2.6 miles south on Farm Road 1038 to intersection with county road; proceed 1 mile east, 0.55 mile north, and 1.55 miles east on county road; site is 200 feet south of road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to over 80 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates ranges from 20 to 30 inches. Distinct calcic horizons are at depths of 30 to 60 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loam or clay loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon is clay or clay loam throughout. Average clay content in the upper 20 inches ranges from 35 to 45 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Color of the Bt1 horizon is similar to that of the A horizon. The Bt2 and Btk1 horizons have hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 6. The structure of these horizons ranges from moderate fine subangular blocky in the upper part to moderate medium angular blocky in the lower part.
The Btk2 horizon has pink or reddish colors with hue of 5YR or 7.5YR. The calcic horizon has about 20 to 50 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, mostly in the form of masses and concretions. The Bt horizons below the calcic horizons have hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma that is dominantly 6. Carbonates in these horizons are thin coatings on ped faces or vertical stringers containing nodular concretions. Reaction is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bexar (TX), Frankirk (TX), Lawton (TX), Luckenbach (TX), Rowden (TX), and Swenson series. Similar soils are the Abilene, Bethany, Hollister, Tillman, and Wichita series. Bexar, Rowden and Swenson soils have a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches. Frankirk soils have secondary carbonates below 30 inches. Lawton and Luckenbach soils do not have calcic horizons. Abilene, Bethany and Hollister, soils have a mollic epipedon thicker than 20 inches. Tillman soils do not decrease in clay by 20 percent or more from the maximum within 60 inches of the surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sagerton soils are on alluvial plains and alluvial plain remnants. Slopes are mainly less than 2 percent, but range from 0 to 5 percent. The soil formed in clayey and loamy sediments several feet thick. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 21 to 28 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 60 to 66 degrees F. Frost free days range from 210 to 240 days, and elevation ranges from 1,150 to 2,150 feet. Thornthwaite P-E indices range from 31 to 44.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abilene, Miles Tillman, Weymouth and Wichita series. Miles and Weymouth soils have ochric epipedons and have less than 35 percent clay in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately slow. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 1 percent, very low on 1 to 3 percent slopes, and low on 3 to 5 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are mainly cultivated to cotton, sorghum, and wheat. Short grasses on rangeland are buffalograss, blue grama and hairy grama. Small mesquite trees are on some areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Rolling Plains, Rolling Limestone Prairie and North Central Prairie of Texas and Southwestern Oklahoma. The series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cottle County, Texas; 1970.
REMARKS: Classification change from Paleustolls to Argiustolls based on laboratory data from type locations in Cottle, Garza, Jones, Young and Throckmorton counties, Texas. Clay content decrease by more than 20 percent from the maximum within 60 inches of the surface.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 15 inches. (Ap and Bt1 horizon)
Argillic horizon - 7 to 84 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Btk1, Btk2 and Btk3 horizons)
Calcic horizon - 36 to 62 inches. (Btk2 horizon)
Additional Data: NSSL data from Young County, Texas (S84TX-503-001) and Haskell County, Texas (S82TX-207-004)