LOCATION HARPER                  TX

Established Series
Rev. ACT-GLL-MLG-RM
02/2018

HARPER SERIES

The Harper series consists of shallow and very shallow, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in residuum over limestone bedrock. These nearly level to steep soils formed in residuum derived from limestone and occur on summits, shoulders, and backslopes of ridges on dissected plateaus. Slopes range from 0 to 45 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 18.3 degrees C (65 degrees F), and the mean annual precipitation is about 838 mm (33 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, thermic Lithic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Harper clay, very stony--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 in); black (10YR 2/1) clay, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky and granular structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; 5 to 15 percent of cobble and stone size fragments on the surface; less than 5 percent of limestone fragments in the soil; noncalcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

A2--18 to 43 cm (7 to 17 in); black (10YR 2/1) clay, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; noncalcareous; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness is 10 to 50 cm [4 to 20 in])

R--43 to 68 (17 to 27 in); indurated, fractured dolomitic limestone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Gillespie County, Texas; from intersection of U.S. Highway 290 and Ranch Road 1631 in Fredericksburg, 7.1 miles east on Ranch Road 1631 to junction with Ranch Road 2721, 8.2 miles east on Ranch Road 2721, 2.3 miles north on Grape Creek county road, 0.7 mile north and east on private road to ranch house, 0.3 mile east on field road, 50 feet east in rangeland.

USGS topographic quadrangle: Rocky Creek, Texas;
Latitude: 30 degrees, 19 minutes, 47.86 seconds N;
Longitude: 98 degrees, 36 minutes, 26.89 seconds W;
Datum: WGS84

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic ustic moisture regime
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 51 cm (4 to 20 in)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 10 to 51 cm (4 to 20 in)
Surface fragments: 3 to 50 percent; 1 to 45 percent gravels, 1 to 50 percent cobbles, 0 to 2 percent stones and boulders which are mostly spaced 20 m (65.6 ft) or more apart but can be 2 m (7 ft) apart; limestone with few cryptocrystalline quartz and/or chert

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent by volume; 0 to 15 percent gravels, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 2 percent stones; limestone with few cryptocrystalline quartz and/or chert

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5 YR or 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam or clay, with gravelly or cobbly phase as needed
Clay content: 37 to 62 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent by volume; 0 to 15 percent gravels, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 2 percent stones; limestone with few cryptocrystalline quartz and/or chert
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Electrical conductivity (decisiemens per meter): 0 to 2
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction (pH): neutral to moderately alkaline (6.8 to 8.2)

Bw horizon (where present):
Hue: 7.5 YR or 10YR
Value:f 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay, with gravelly or cobbly phase as needed
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent by volume; 0 to 15 percent gravels, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 2 percent stones; limestone with few cryptocrystalline quartz and/or chert
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 25 percent
Electrical conductivity (decisiemens per meter): 0 to 2
Effervescence: none to strong
Reaction (pH): neutral to moderately alkaline (6.8 to 8.2)

R layer:
Kind: dolomitc limestone or dolomite bedrock with interbedded cryptocrystalline quartz, chert, marl, and/or chalk.
Cementation: Strongly cemented to indurated

COMPETING SERIES: These include the Oglesby series in the same family and the similar Eckrant, Eckert, Hensley, Kavett, Purves, Renick, Tarpley, Stephen, and Tarrant series.
Oglesby soils: are dry in the moisture control section for less than 90 days during most years
Eckrant soils: have a clayey-skeletal particle size control section
Eckert soils: have a loamy-skeletal particle size control section
Hensley soils: lack a mollic epipedon
Kavett soils: have a petrocalcic horizon over limestone
Purves and Tarrant soils: have calcic horizons, and in addition, Tarrant soils have skeletal control sections
Renick soils: underlain by serpentine bedrock
Tarpley soils: have an argillic horizon
Stephen soils: have a paralithic contact with underlying chalk

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: residuum over limestone
Landscape: dissected plateaus
Landform: ridges
Slope: 0 to 45 percent, but is commonly 0 to 8 percent
Precipitation pattern: The majority of the yearly rainfall amount occurs during the fall and spring months with the winter and summer months typically being drier.
Mean annual precipitation: 559 to 864 mm (22 to 34 in)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 31 to 44
Mean annual air temperature: 17.8 to 20.0 degrees C (64 to 68 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 220 to 240 days
Elevation: 365.8 to 739.1 m (1,200 to 2,425 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Boerne, Doss, Eckrant, Hensley, Oakalla, Tarpley, and Topia
Boerne and Oakalla soils: occur on floodplains along drains and are very deep
Doss soils: occur in similar positions, have a calcic horizon, shallow to paralithic contact, and loamy particle size control section
Eckrant soils: have more than 35 percent fragments and are similar positions.
Hensley soils: have mixed minerology and are on similar positions.
Tarpley soils: have argillic horizons and are on similar positions
Topia soils: occur in similar positions, are moderately deep to paralithic contact and have an argillic horizon

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Well.
Permeability: moderately slow.
Runoff: low on less than 1 percent slopes, medium on 1 to 5 percent slopes, high on 5 to 20 percent slopes, and very high on 20 to 45 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consist of little and big bluestem, indiangrass, Texas wintergrass, Wright's threeawn, sideoats grama, live oak, elm, and ashe juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in Central Basin and Edwards Plateau of west-central Texas. The soil is of large extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gillespie County, Texas; 1970.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon: 0 to 43 cm (0 to 17 in) (A1 and A2 horizons)

Lithic contact: Indurated limestone at 43 cm (17 in)

ADDITIONAL DATA: None

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.