LOCATION CATARINA                TX

Established Series
Rev. HCD-GSM-CLG-WJG
11/2016

CATARINA SERIES

The Catarina series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils. These nearly level to gently sloping soils formed in calcareous saline clayey alluvium of the Jackson Formation. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 22 degrees C (72 degrees F) and mean annual precipitation is about 533mm (21 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Sodic Haplusterts

TYPICAL PEDON: Catarina clay on a south-southwest facing, 3 percent slope in rangeland; elevation is 201 m (660ft).
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ay--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate fine and very fine granular and very fine angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine pores; few siliceous pebbles, 5 percent films and threads of gypsum along crack faces; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. Thickness is 5 to 33 cm (2 to 13 in)

Bnssy--8 to 36 cm (3 to 14 in); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and medium roots; common fine and very fine pores; few distinct slickensides increasing in size with depth; few wormcasts; few siliceous pebbles; 2 percent films and threads of gypsum, mostly on crack faces; very slightly saline; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. Thickness is 15 to 58 cm (6 to 23 in)

Bknssyz1--36 to 64 cm (14 to 25 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm; sticky and plastic, common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; common distinct slickensides; few siliceous pebbles; 15 percent films, threads and masses of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and other salts; strongly effervescent; moderately saline; slightly alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary.

Bknssyz2--64 to 89 cm (25 to 35 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic few very fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; common faint slickensides; few siliceous pebbles; 17 percent films, threads and masses of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and other salts; strongly effervescent; strongly saline; slightly alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary.

Bknssyz3--89 to 127 cm (35 to 50 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic, few very fine roots; few fine pores; common distinct slickensides; 10 percent films, threads and masses of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and other salts; common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly effervescent; strongly saline; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bknssyz4--127 to 185 cm (50 to 73 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silty clay, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; sticky and plastic, few very fine roots; few very fine pores; common distinct slickensides; 2 percent films, threads and masses of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and other salts; strongly effervescent; moderately saline; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. Combined thickness of the Bknssyz horizons is 64 to 206 cm (25 to 81 in)

Bknyz--185 to 203 cm (73 to 80 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) clay, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; 2 percent masses of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and other salts; strongly effervescent; moderately saline; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Webb County, Texas; from the intersection of Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 59 in Laredo; about 12 miles north on Interstate 35 to main entrance of Uniroyal Tire Testing facility; 4.35 miles southeast to plant materials test plot; 100 feet east of plot in rangeland.
USGS topographic quadrangle: Orvil, Texas
Latitude: 27 degrees, 40 minutes, 30 seconds N.;
Longitude: 99 degrees, 24 minutes, 26 seconds W.;
Datum: WGS84

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section remains moist in some or all parts for less than 90 consecutive days in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 22 to 24 degrees C (72 to 76 degrees F)
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in)
Depth to identifiable secondary carbonates: 18 to 64 cm (7 to 25 in)
Depth to slickensides: 5 to 33 cm (2 to 13 in).
Cracks: 1 to 5 cm (0.4 to 2 in) wide at the surface when dry and extend to a depth of 51 cm (20 in) or more.
Depth to salt accumulations: 8 to 38 cm (3 to 15 in). Salinity increases with depth in the upper 102 cm (40 in).
Exchangeable sodium percentage: 15 or more (13 or more SAR) in the upper 76 cm (30 in) of the solumn.
Depth to redox concentrations: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in)
Depth to redox depletions: where present, 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Coarse Fragments: 0 to 10 percent
CEC/clay ratio: greater than 0.60
Coefficient of Linear Extensibility: about 0.09 to 0.16

A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5 Y, or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1.5 to 4
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Base saturation: 100 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 15 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: none
Electrical Conductivity (dS/m): 0 to 8
Gypsum: 0 to 5 percent
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 30
Effervescence: none or slight
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

B horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1.5 to 4
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Redox accumulations: none to common, fine or medium, faint to prominent, on surfaces and interiors of peds
Redox depletions: none to few, fine, faint on surfaces of peds
Coarse fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Base saturation: 100 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 20 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: 2 to 20 percent, fine and medium, mainly concentrated along ped faces and along cracks. Occur in the form of films, threads, concretions, and masses.
Electrical Conductivity (dS/m): 4 to 24
Gypsum: 0 to 15 percent
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 13 to 35
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

In some pedons, a C horizon of clay or clay intermingled with soft shale fragments, occurs below 102 cm (40 in). Crystalline segregations of salt are few to many.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arroyada, Coquat, Cotulla, Dosrios, Duvert, Lasalle, Mercedes, Montell, Monwebb, Victine, and Victoria series in the same family.
Arroyada and Coquat soils: are somewhat poorly drained and formed in Holocene alluvium on flood plains
Cotulla soils: do not have redoximorphic features within 102 cm (40 in) of the surface and are well drained.
Dosrios soils: have a mollic epipedon occur in a moister climate.
Duvert soils: have a paralithic contact between 51 to 102 cm (20 and 40 in) of the surface, and are well drained.
Lasalle soils: have hue of 7.5YR or redder in the B horizons.
Mercedes soils: are slightly saline in the upper 102 cm (40 in).
Montell soils: have an ochric epipedon with chromas of 1.
Monwebb soils: have a mollic epipedon
Victoria soils: Victoria soils are well drained and depth to SAR of more than 13 ranges from 71 to 99 cm (28 to 39 in).
Victine soils: are somewhat poorly drained and have higher SAR in the upper 51 cm (20 in).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous, saline, clayey alluvium
Landscape: Inland, dissected coastal plains
Landform: Broad, low ridges (not preferred - valley sides or valley floors)
Slope: 0 to 5 percent
Precipitation pattern: The soil is driest during the months June through August and December through February. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through May.
Mean annual precipitation: 457 to 610 mm (18 to 24 in)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 21 to 32
Mean annual air temperature: 21.1 to 23.3 degrees C (70 to 74 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 280 to 365 days
Elevation: 45.7 to 289.6 m (150 to 950 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chacon, Cochina, Dant, Maverick, Monwebb, Montell, Pryor, and Viboras series.
Chacon soils: have a mollic epipedon and an argillic horizon. These soils occur in similar or slightly lower positions associated with more loamy sediments.
Cochina soils: have a very-fine particle-size control section and occur on lower flood plains.
Dant soils: have a mollic epipedon, a fine-loamy particle-size control section, and occur in similar positions.
Maverick soils: have a paralithic contact between 51 to 102 cm (20 and 40 in) of the surface and occur at slightly higher positions.
Monwebb soils: occur on lower floodplains.
Montell soils: occur on similar positions.
Pryor soils: have an argillic horizon and occur at slightly higher positions.
Viboras soils: do not have slickensides, are moderately deep to shale, and occur in similar positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is high on slopes less than 1 percent and very high on 1 to 5 percent slopes. During high intensity rainfalls, areas of this soil at the lower elevations may flood for brief periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used almost exclusively as rangeland. A few small scattered areas are irrigated mainly to perennial grasses. The original plant community was open grassland dominated by short and mid-grasses with occasional mesquite trees and woody shrubs. Bundleflower was an important forb. In early stages of retrogression, plants such as pink pappusgrass and curlymesquite increase, but decrease with further deterioration. With further retrogression, whorled dropseed, pricklypear cactus and Texas varilla increase significantly. Other plants which increase or invade are mesquite, spiny hackberry, twisted acacia, condalia, dwarf screwbean, and other cacti.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Rio Grande Plain, Texas; LRR I; MLRA 83B; the series is of large extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Maverick County, Texas, 1972.

REMARKS: These soils were included in the Maverick series in earlier published reports.

Classification change from Typic Torrerts to Sodic Haplusterts based on geographic distribution of the series, rainfall patterns, and vegetative production and composition. The soil has an ustic soil moisture regime that borders an aridic moisture regime.

Edited 11/2016 (RFG-GWH): Updated competing series, geographic setting, and associated soils sections.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: 25 to 102 cm (10 to 40 in). (upper B horizons)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in). (A horizon)
Sodic feature: ESP greater than 15 in the upper 102 cm (40 in)
Redoximorphic concentrations: 89 to 127 cm (35 to 50 in). (Bknyz3 horizon)
Vertic features: Cracks in the surface layer and the presence of slickensides at 8 to 185 cm (3 to 73 in). (B horizons)

Additional data: Soil characterization data by Texas A&M University for 5 pedons is as noted: 2 pedons Webb County TAMU S82TX-479-002 (type location) and C351, Dimmit County TAMU C347, Maverick County TAMU C349, and Starr County TAMU C353. Characterization data available to a depth of 6.75 m at type location.

Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.