LOCATION BENAVIDES               TX

Established Series
PDH-JLS-CKH
02/2018

BENAVIDES SERIES

The Benavides series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in calcareous loamy sediments of the Goliad Formation. These nearly level to gently sloping soils are on sideslopes of interfluves. Slope ranges from 2 to 5 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 22 degrees C (72 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 610 mm (24 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Aridic Calciustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Benavides fine sandy loam, on a 4 percent linear west-facing slope in rangeland. Elevation is 168 m (550 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; few snail shell fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (thickness of the A horizon is 18 to 30 cm [7 to 12 in])

Bk1--20 to 36 cm (8 to 14 in); brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; 2 percent nodules of calcium carbonate less than 1 cm in diameter; l percent films and threads of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--36 to 66 cm (14 to 26 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; 1 percent nodules of calcium carbonate less than 2 mm in diameter; 5 percent films and threads of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bk3--66 to 81 cm (26 to 32 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; 10 percent nodules of calcium carbonate less than 7 mm in diameter; 5 percent films and threads of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bk4--81 to 127 cm (32 to 50 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; 10 percent nodules of calcium carbonate less than 3 mm in diameter; 5 percent films and threads of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bk horizon is 51 to 178 cm [20 to 70 in])

BCk--127 to 203 cm (50 to 80 in); very pale brown (10YR 8/3) sandy clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; 8 percent nodules of calcium carbonate less than 3 mm in diameter; 5 percent films and threads of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Duval County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highway 359 and Texas Highway 339 in Benavides; 11.2 miles northwest on Texas Highway 339, 1.0 mile southwest on county road, southeast 2.7 miles on private ranch road, west 0.6 mile on field road; site is 20 feet south in rangeland; USGS Parilla Creek NE, Texas topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 27 degrees, 40 minutes, 32 seconds N; Longitude: 98 degrees, 32minutes, 31 seconds W, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section remains moist in some or all parts for less than 90 days, consecutive, in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 22 to 24 degrees C (72 to 76 degrees F)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 13 to 30 cm (5 to 12 in)
Depth to calcic horizon: 30 to 76 cm (12 to 30 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Coarse Fragments: 0 to 14 percent petrocalcic gravel

A Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: fine sandy loam
Clay content: 12 to 20 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Identifiable secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 8 percent, fine to coarse, nodules
Base saturation: 90 to 100 percent
Effervescence: slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bk Horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 40 percent
Identifiable secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 25 percent, fine to coarse, masses and nodules
Rock Fragments: 0 to 14 percent, moderately to strongly cemented, angular, petrocalcic gravel
Base saturation: 100 percent
Effervescence: strongly effervescent to violently effervescent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

BCk Horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 6 to 8
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam, silt loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Identifiable secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 10 percent, fine to coarse, masses and nodules
Base saturation: 100 percent
Effervescence: strongly effervescent to violently effervescent
Reaction: moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Houla (TX) series. Similar soils are the Choke (TX), Elindio (TX), Hidalgo (TX), and Uvalde (TX) series.
Houla series: have surface textures of loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, or silty clay, and developed in residuum derived from the tuffaceous Catahoula Formation.
Choke series: have a fine-silty control section, contain volcanic ash in the sand fraction, developed in residuum derived from the tuffaceous Catahoula Formation.
Elindio and Uvalde series: have a fine-silty control section.
Hidalgo series: the SMCS is moist for more than 90 days, consecutive, in normal years (typic-ustic moisture regime).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: residuum and colluvium derived from loamy calcareous sediments of the Goliad Formation.
Landform: side slopes of interfluves on inland dissected coastal plains
Slope: 2 to 5 percent (some areas approach 8 percent)
Mean annual air temperature: 21 to 23 degrees C (70 to 74 degrees F)
Precipitation pattern: June through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through May.
Mean annual precipitation: 559 to 660 mm (22 to 26 in)
Frost-free period: 270 to 360 days
Elevation: 36 to 244 m (300 to 800 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cuevitas, Delmita, Olmedo, Pernitas, Randado, and Weesatche series.
Cuevitas, Olmedo, and Randado series: have a petrocalcic horizon within 51 cm (20 in) of the surface and occur on narrow to broad ridges in higher positions.
Delmita series: have a petrocalcic horizon between 51 and 102 cm (20 and 40 in) of the surface and occur slightly higher in the landscape.
Pernitas and Weesatche series: have an argillic horizon and occur on lower positions in the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderate permeability. Runoff is low.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habbitat. Native woody vegetation includes the mountain laurel, mesquite, hog plum, cenizo, guayacan, prickly pear, coyotillo, amargosa, and catclaw. Grass species include plains bristlegrass, hooded windmillgrass, pink pappusgrass, Arizona cottontop and twoflower and fourflower trichloris. The ecological site is Gray Sandy Loam, PE 19-31 (R083CY456TX).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Rio Grande Plain, Texas; LRR I;
MLRA 83C; large extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Duval County, Texas, 1998. The name is from a community in Duval County, Texas.

REMARKS:
Updated Clay content, Texture, and Fragment content 3/27/2013

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: 25 to 102 cm (10 to 40 in). (Bk horizons)
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in). (A horizon)
Calcic horizon: 36 to 203 cm (14 to 80 in). (Bk and BCk horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data (S01TX-131-003) from Duval County, Texas, and particle-size analysis was performed at the local project office for 5 pedons from Duval County.

TAXONOMIC VERSION, keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.