LOCATION MENARD                  TX

Established Series
Rev. DRC-BJW-JCW
09/2016

MENARD SERIES

The Menard series consists of deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils developed in loamy calcareous slope alluvium over residuum. These soils are on nearly level to sloping alluvial plain remnants. Slope are 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 19 degrees C (67 degrees F) and mean annual precipitation is about 660 mm (26 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, thermic Typic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Menard fine sandy loam, in a cultivated field.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in); brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine granular structure in the lower part; hard, friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness is 10 to 36 cm [4 to 14 in])

Bt1--25 to 41 cm (10 to 16 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium blocky structure; very hard, firm; 50 percent clay films on faces of peds; few fine pores; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Thickness is 10 to 51 cm [4 to 20 in])

Bt2--41 to 76 cm (16 to 30 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium blocky structure; very hard, firm; 50 percent clay films on faces of peds; few fine pores; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 35 to 102 cm [14 to 40 in])

BCk--76 to 107 cm (30 to 42 in); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine pores; few films and threads of calcium carbonate in lower part; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness is 20 to 76 cm [8 to 30 in])

Ck--107 to 254 cm (42 to 100 in); pink (7.5YR 7/4) sandy clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, friable; 10 percent by volume of soft limestone fragments or nodules of calcium carbonate; few concretions and thin seams of soft limestone or coatings of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Menard County, Texas; From the intersection of U.S. Highway 83 and Texas Highway 29, approximately 14 miles southeast on Texas Highway 29 to the intersection with Ranch Road 1221, 0.5 mile south on Ranch Road 1221, and 1500 feet west in a cultivated field.
USGS topographic quadrangle: Hext, TX;
Latitude: 30 degrees, 51 minutes, 43.90 seconds N;
Longitude: 99 degrees, 32 minutes, 5.14 seconds W;
Datum: WGS 84.
UTM Zone 14, UTM Easting 448874.93 m, UTM Northing 3414452.32 m.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic ustic moisture regime.
Solum thickness: 76 to 127 cm (30 to 50 in)
Other features: In pedons where moist value and chroma are 3 or less, the epipedon is not thick enough for a mollic epipedon.
Other features: Some pedons are underlain by thin strata of limestone or weakly cemented sandstone below 150 cm (60 in).

A horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry and moist
Other features: Some pedons have a thin A2 horizon that is 1 or 2 units higher in value than the A1 horizon.
Texture: Loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam
Fragments: 0 to 5 percent by volume, quartz gravel
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Effervescence: None
Reaction: Neutral to slightly alkaline

Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8, dry and moist
Texture: Sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Fragments: 0 to 15 percent by volume, mostly quartz gravel but may contain some limestone fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Effervescence: None to slight
Reaction: Slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Bk, BC, or BCk horizon (where present)
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8, dry and moist
Texture: Fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Mottles: Some pedons have faint red or yellow mottles
Fragments: 0 to 15 percent by volume, quartz or limestone gravel
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 3 to about 15 percent by volume
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

Ck horizon (where present)
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 6 to 8, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry and moist
Texture: Sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam and gravelly phases
Fragments: 5 to 35 percent by volume; limestone; some pedons also contain a few rounded quartz gravel.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 0 to 35 percent by volume; masses and concretions
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 35 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Effervescence: strong to violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are Arnett, Cobb, Decobb, Grandmore, Lou, and McKnight soils in the same family. Similar soils include the Duval, Grandfield, May, and Rochelle series.
Arnett soils: have more than 5 percent gravel throughout
Cobb soils: are 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in) to sandstone bedrock.
Decobb soils: are 150 to 200 cm (60 to 80 in) to sandstone bedrock.
Duval soils: Have mean annual soil temperatures of 22 degrees C (72 degrees F) or higher, and are dry for longer periods of time.
Grandfield, Grandmore, and May soils: Have no visible secondary carbonates within 91 cm (36 in)
Lou soils: are 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in) to granite grus.
McKnight soils: Have a paralithic contact within depth of 150 cm (60 in).
Rochelle soils: Contain 15 to 35 percent coarse fragments in the Bt horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: The soil formed in loamy, red, or pink, calcareous slope alluvium over residuum that is considered to be basal members of Lower Cretaceous age such as the Hensell Sand.
Landscape: Dissected plateau
Landform: Footslopes/toeslopes of hills or ridges and possibly terrace remnants
Slope: 0 to 8 percent
Precipitation Pattern: The majority of the yearly amount occurs during the fall and spring months. The winter and summer months are normally drier.
Mean annual precipitation: 560 to 813 mm (26 to 32 in)
Thornthwaite annual P-E index: 38 to 48
Mean annual temperature: 17.8 to 19.4 degrees C (64 to 67 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 210-260 days
Elevation: 304.8 to 762.0 m (1,000 to 2,500 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Brackett, Eckrant, Hext, Nebgen, Oben, and Pedernales series.
Brackett soils: have paralithic contact with limestone within 50 cm and occur on higher backslopes of ridges.
Eckrant soils: are shallow to limestone bedrock and occur on higher summits, shoulders, and backslopes of ridges.
Hext soils: have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section, are strongly to violently effervescent throughout and occur on slightly higher knolls.
Nebgen and Oben soils: are shallow to sandstone bedrock and occur on slightly higher knolls and ridges
Pedernales soils: have fine particle-size control sections and occur on similar positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: These soil are well drained; medium internal drainage; moderate permeability. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 1 percent, low on 1 to 5 percent slopes, and medium on 5 to 8 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for crops and rangeland. Crops grown are grain sorghum, small grain, peanuts, and peaches. Native grasses are mostly little bluestem, sand lovegrass, purpletop, sand dropseed, tumble windmillgrass, and hairy tridens. Woody vegetation consists of post oak, mesquite, whitebrush, tasajillo, pricklypear, and Texas persimmon.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Texas; Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range Region, LRR-H: MLRA 80B-Texas North-Central Prairies; MLRA 78A-Rolling Limestone Prairie. Southwest Plateaus and Plains Range and Cotton Region, LRR-I: MLRA 82A-Texas Central Basin. Southestwern Prairies Cotton and Forage Region, LRR-J: MLRA 84B-West Cross Timbers; MLRA 85-Grand Prairie; and MLRA 87A-Texas Claypan Area, Southern Part. The series is of large extent with about 100,000 acres.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Menard County, Texas; 1965.

REMARKS:
Edited 09/2016 (RFG-THW): Changed to tabular format. Added metric measurements. Updated competing series, geographic setting, and associated soils sections.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 25 to 75 cm (10 to 30 in) (Bt horizon)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in) (A horizon)
Argillic horizon: 25 to 76 cm (10 to 30 in) (Bt horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: None

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th Edition, 2014.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.