LOCATION KARNES TX

Established Series
Rev. CLG:LCB
11/2013

KARNES SERIES

The Karnes series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils that formed in loamy slope alluvium derived from limestone. These soils occur on nearly level to moderately sloping footslopes on hillslopes or stream terraces on dissected plateaus. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 686 mm (27 in) and the mean annual air temperature is about degrees 18.3 C (degrees 65 F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, carbonatic, thermic Typic Calciustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Karnes loam--rangeland.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 38 cm (0 to 15 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky and granular structure; hard, friable; few angular and rounded limestone fragments 0.2 to 0.4 inches in diameter; few films and threads of calcium carbonate in the lower part; moderately alkaline; calcareous; gradual boundary. Thickness is 13 to 76 cm (5 to 30 in)

Bk--38 to 102 cm (15 to 40 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; many pores; common films and threads of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; calcareous; gradual lower boundary. Thickness is 51 to 76 cm (20 to 30 in)

Ck--102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; hard, friable; few calcium carbonate concretions; moderately alkaline; calcareous.

TYPE LOCATION: Menard County, Texas; 11.5 miles east of Menard or 5.3 miles west of Hext; 520 yards south of Highway 29.
USGS topographic quadrangle: Hext, Texas; Latitude: 30 degrees, 51 minutes, 56.5 seconds N; Longitude: 99 degrees, 37 minutes, 2.9 seconds W; Datum: WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Typic-ustic moisture regime
Solum thickness: 86 to 127 cm (34 to 50 in)
Sand and silt size particles are dominantly composed of calcium carbonate.

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Total clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Silicate clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Carbonate clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 80 percent

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma : 2 to 4, dry and moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Carbonate clay content: 3 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent total; 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 1 percent cobbles; angular to rounded limestone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 45 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Reaction: moderately alkaline

Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma : 2 to 4, dry and moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Carbonate clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent total; 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 1 percent cobbles; angular to rounded limestone
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 5 to 20 percent; films, threads, or coatings in soil and on surface of fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 80 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Reaction: moderately alkaline

Ck horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 6 to 8, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry and moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Carbonate clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent total; 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 1 percent cobbles; angular to rounded limestone
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 0 to 5 percent, films, threads, or coatings in soil and on surface of fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 80 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Reaction: moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the Kerrville, Rio Frio, and Stilskin series.
Kerrville soils: are moderately deep to bedrock and are loamy-skeletal in the particle-size control section.
Rio Frio soils: are fine-loamy with greater than 18 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Stilskin soils: are shallow to bedrock and loamy-skeletal in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: loamy slope alluvium derived from limestone
Landscape: dissected plateaus
Landform: dominantly on footslopes on hillslopes; stream terraces
Slope: 0 to 8 percent, but dominantly less than 3 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 610 to 737 mm (24 to 29 in)
Thornthwaite P.E. index: 30 to 44
Mean annual air temperature: 17.8 to 19.4 degrees C (64 to 67 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 210 to 240 days
Elevation: 518.2 to 609.6 m (1700 to 2000 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brackett, Dev, Frio, Hext, Nuvalde, and Tarrant series.
Brackett soils: have bedrock within 51 cm (20 in) and occur on higher positions.
Dev soils: contain more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section and occur on lower flood plains.
Frio soils: have a mollic epipedon, smectitic mineralogy, and occur on lower flood plains.
Hext soils: have mixed mineralogy and occur on higher positions.
Nuvalde soils: have a mollic epipedon and mixed mineralogy.
Tarrant soils: contain more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section, have bedrock within 51cm (20 in) and occur on higher positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately rapid. Runoff is negligible on less than 1 percent slopes, very low on 1 to 5 percent slopes, and low on 5 to 8 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland and range. Cultivated crops are cotton, flax, small grain, and grain sorghum. Range consists of little bluestem, sideoats grama, indiangrass, and scattered live oak trees. Heavily used pastures are dominantly of shorter grasses, such as curly mesquite and buffalograss.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Texas; LRR I - Southwest Plateaus and Plains Range and Cotton Region; Edwards Plateau, Central Part (MLRA 81B) and Edwards Plateau, Eastern Part (MLRA 81C). Karnes soils are moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Karnes County, Texas. Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Central Gulf Coast area, Texas 1910.

REMARKS:
Edited 11/2013 (RFG-JRJ): Converted to tabular format and added metric measurements. Updated the competing series, geographic setting, and associated soils sections.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 38 cm (0 to 15 in) (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - 38 to 102 cm (15 to 40 in) (Bk horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA: None

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.