LOCATION HERMLEIGH               TX

Established Series
Rev. ALS,JAG,WJG
04/2011

HERMLEIGH SERIES

The Hermleigh series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils that formed in calcareous clayey Quaternary lacustrine deposits. These soils are in enclosed depressions on alluvial plain remnants. These nearly level soils are 3 to 25 feet below the surrounding plain and range in size from 5 to 150 acres. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 61 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation is about 22 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, thermic Chromic Udic Haplusterts

TYPICAL PEDON: Hermleigh clay, midway between microknoll and microdepression, 0 percent slope at an elevation of 2428 feet. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; many fine and common medium roots and many very fine roots throughout; 2 percent fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), redox concentrations on surfaces along root channels; 1 percent fine spherical carbonate nodules with sharp boundaries throughout; 2 percent rounded quartzite pebbles; very slight effervescence; clear wavy boundary; slightly alkaline. (6 to 13 inches thick)

Bw--5 to 13 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; moderate fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; many fine roots and common medium roots and many very fine roots throughout; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent prominent pressure faces; 2 percent fine distinct olive (5Y 4/4), redox comcentrations on faces of peds; 1 percent fine spherical carbonate nodules with sharp boundaries throughout; very slight effervescence; clear smooth boundary; slightly alkaline. (0 to 20 inches thick)

Bss--13 to 32 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; many fine roots and common medium roots and many very fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent prominent slickensides; 2 percent fine prominent black (10YR 2/1), iron manganese masses throughout; 1 percent fine and 1 percent medium spherical carbonate nodules with sharp boundaries throughout; very slight effervescence; clear smooth boundary; slightly alkaline. (15 to 60 inches thick)

Bkss1--32 to 60 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; strong coarse and very coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine, medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; 1 percent prominent sand coats on ped faces and 80 percent prominent slickensides; 5 percent fine spherical carbonate nodules with sharp boundaries throughout; very slight effervescence; gradual smooth boundary; slightly alkaline. (combined thickness of the Bkss horizons is 20 to 60 inches thick)

Bkss2--60 to 80 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; strong fine and medium wedge structure and strong fine, medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots between peds; common very fine tubular pores; 1 percent prominent sand coats on ped faces and 50 percent prominent slickensides; 3 percent fine prominent very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1), redox depletions, and 6 percent fine prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4), redox concentrations; 5 percent fine spherical carbonate nodules with sharp boundaries throughout; very slight effervescence; gradual smooth boundary; slightly alkaline.

Bkss3--80 to 89 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; moderate fine, medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine roots between peds; common very fine tubular pores; 3 percent prominent sand coats on ped faces and 25 percent prominent slickensides; 6 percent fine prominent very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1), redox depletions, and 9 percent fine prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4), redox concentrations; 3 percent fine spherical carbonate nodules with sharp boundaries throughout; very slight effervescence; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Scurry County, Texas, From intersection of 180 and 208 in downtown Snyder, go west on 180 for 6.45 miles to FM 1673, go north 2.0 mile to C.R. 173, go north 0.15 miles on C.R. 173. location is 200 feet west into field. 32 degrees North latitude, 44 minutes, 6 seconds and 100 degrees, 49 minutes, 34 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S Quad: Hermleigh, Texas.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime bordering on udic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 90 days but less than 110 cumulative days in normal years. November through March is the driest months, while April through October is the wettest.

Mean annual soil temperature: 61 to 67 degrees F.
Depth to cambic horizon: 3 to 15 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 10 to 25 inches
Depth to redox concentrations: 5 to 15 inches
Vertic features: 8 to 80 inches; undisturbed areas of this cyclic soil have gilgai microrelief in which microknolls are 6 to 20 inches higher than microdepressions. The distance between centers of the microknolls and the centers of the microdepressions range from about 4 to 12 feet. When dry, cracks 0.5 to 2 inches wide extend from the surface to a depth of 40 inches or more.
Depth to slickensides: 10 to 25 inches
Thickness of the mollic epipedon, 3 to 12 inches
Thickness of the vertic features: 27 to more than 80 inches

A or Ap horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry and moist
Texture: Clay
Coarse fragments: 0 to 3 percent as rounded quartzite pebbles
Redox accumulations: masses of iron-manganese and oxidized rhizospheres range from few to many
Clay content: 50 to 64 percent
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bw horizon(where present):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 dry; 1 moist
Redox accumulations: masses of iron-manganese and oxidized rhizospheres range from few to many
Texture: Clay
Coarse fragments: 0 to 3 percent as rounded quartzite pebbles
Clay content: 50 to 60 percent
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bss or Bssg horizon(s):
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 moist
Redox accumulations: masses of iron-manganese and oxidized rhizospheres range from few to many
Redox depletions: iron depletions on faces of peds and in root pores range from none to common
Texture: Clay
Coarse fragments: 0 to 3 percent as rounded quartzite pebbles
Clay content: 50 to 60 percent
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bkss or Bkssg horizon(s):
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 dry and moist
Redox accumulations: masses of iron-manganese and oxidized rhizospheres range from few to many
Redox depletions: iron depletions on faces of peds and in root pores range from none to common
Texture: Clay
Coarse fragments: 0 to 3 percent as rounded quartzite pebbles
Clay content: 50 to 60 percent
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

BCk horizon(where present):
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 moist
Texture: Clay
Clay content: 50 to 60 percent

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the Eastall, Larzare, Lipan, Padgett, Randall, Reap, and Stamford series.
Eastall: are ponded and episaturated for longer periods
Lazare: color value ,moist, of 3 or less in the upper 30 cm and are ponded less often
Lipan: deep wide cracks that remain open for more than 150 cumulative days each year, occur in the Edwards Plateau region of Texas
Randall: occur on the Blackwater Draw formation of Pleistocene age, have a mean annual precipitation of 19 inches or less
Padgett: have deep wide cracks that remain open for more than 150 cumulative days each year, are moderately well drained and occur on floodplains
Reap: are well drained, and occur in broad valleys
Stamford: moderately deep, have hues of 5YR or redder throughout the A horizon, are well drained, and have cracks that remain open for more than 150 cumulative days

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous clayey Quaternary lacustrine deposits derived from Quaternary and Tertiary material
Landform: in depressions 3 to 25 feet below the surrounding plain and range in size from 5 to more than 150 acres.
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual air temperature range: 59 to 65 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation range: 18 to 25 inches
Precipitation Pattern: Precipitation falls mostly during the months of April through October. November through March is the driest months. Spring precipitation occurs during widely scattered intense thunderstorms.
Frost-free period: 200 to 240 days
Elevation: 1500 to 2850 feet
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 25 to 36

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pyron, Sagerton, Roscoe and the tentative Dermott and Snyder series.
Pyron: occurs higher in the landscape and is a Mollisol without slickensides.
Sagerton: occurs higher in the landscape and is a Mollisol without slickensides.
Roscoe: occurs on similar to higher landscape positions and have lower value and chromas in the upper part of the solumn.
Snyder: occurs higher in the landscape and is a Mollisol without slickensides.
Dermott: occurs higher in the landscape on shoulders, summits and breaks into valleys and drains. It is shallow to a petrocalcic.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained, very slow permeability, negligible runoff. These soils are frequently ponded for very brief to very long periods. Long or very long duration ponding occurs in most years. After being ponded for a few days, the soil saturates at the surface, forms a perched water table, and wets deeper over time under sustained inundation.

USE AND VEGETATION: Much of the soil is used for growing dryland cotton, grain sorghums, and wheat and rangeland. Principal vegetation in uncultivated areas is buffalograss, tobosa and a few stunted mesquite trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest portion of the Rolling Red Plains; Land Resource Region H; MLRA 78B and 78C; the series is not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Scurry County, Texas, 2005, MLRA 78 soil survey area. The name is from a community in Scurry county.

REMARKS: The series was formerly included in the Lipan series. The series was separated from Lipan based on geographic area and parent materials.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 10 to 40 in.
Ochric Epipedon: 0 to 5 inches (A horizon)
Cambic Horizon: 5 to 32 inches (Bw and Bss horizons)
Secondary Carbonates: 13 to 89 inches (Bkss horizons)
Vertic feature: 13 to 89 inches (Bss and Bkss horizons) wedge-shaped aggregates and slickensides. Deep wide cracks that are open for less than 150 cumulative days in most years. Gilgai micro relief on undisturbed areas.

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by laboratory data number S03TX-415-001 from Scurry County, Texas.

Taxonomic version: Keys To Soil Taxonomy, Ninth Edition, 2003

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Data from type location S03TX-415-001. Particle-size analysis, calcium carbonate equivalent, sieve analysis and pH tests were performed at the project office on 5 pedons.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.