LOCATION ALTUS OK+TX

Established Series
Rev. JWF-JGF-RFG
04/2019

ALTUS SERIES

The Altus series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in loamy and sandy alluvium of Pleistocene age. These nearly level to very gently sloping soils are on treads of high stream terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 16.1 degrees C (61 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 610 mm (24 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Pachic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Altus fine sandy loam, on a 1 percent slope, in a cultivated field that has been reseeded to native grasses.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap1--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 in); brown (7.5YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3), moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; very friable, slightly hard; common fine and common very fine roots; 1 percent well rounded quartz gravels; noneffervescent; neutral; clear smooth boundary.

Ap2--23 to 43 cm (9 to 17 in); brown (7.5YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium granular; very friable, slightly hard; common fine and common very fine roots; common fine and common medium pores; 1 percent well rounded quartz gravels; noneffervescent; neutral; clear smooth boundary. Combined thickness of the A horizons ranges from 13 to 64 cm (5 to 25 in).

Bt1--43 to 69 cm (17 to 27 in); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3), moist; strong very coarse and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable, moderately hard; common fine and common very fine roots; many fine and common medium pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 1 percent well rounded quartz gravels; noneffervescent; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--69 to 99 cm (27 to 39 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4), moist; strong very coarse and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm, hard; common fine and common very fine roots; common fine and common medium pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 1 percent well rounded quartz gravels; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. Combined thickness of the upper Bt horizons ranges from 20 to 66 cm (8 to 26 in).

Bt3--99 to 142 cm (39 to 56 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6), moist; strong very coarse and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm, hard; few fine and few very fine roots; common fine and common medium pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 1 percent well rounded quartz gravels; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt4--142 to 188 cm (56 to 74 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6), moist; strong very coarse and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable, moderately hard; few fine and few very fine roots; common fine and common medium pores; common distinct clay films on vertical faces of peds; 3 percent well rounded quartz gravels; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt5--188 to 208 cm (74 to 82 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6), moist; strong very coarse and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable, moderately hard; few fine and few very fine roots; common fine pores; few faint clay films on vertical faces of peds; 3 percent well rounded quartz gravels; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. Combined thickness of the lower Bt horizons ranges from 41 to 147 cm (16 to 58 in).

Btk--208 to 241 cm (82 to 95 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6), moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; friable, moderately hard; few fine and few very fine roots; common fine pores; few faint clay films on vertical faces of peds; 2 percent medium masses of calcium carbonate; 1 percent well rounded quartz gravels; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline. Thickness is 0 to 81 cm (0 to 32 in).

TYPE LOCATION:
Harmon County, Oklahoma; from the intersection of US Highway 62 and OK State Highway 30 in Hollis, OK, about 6 miles north and 2.46 miles east; located about 1250 feet south in a cultivated field that has been reseeded to native grasses; about 1250 feet south and 2450 feet east of the northwest corner of Section 6, Township 3 N., Range 25 W.

USGS topographic quad: Shrewder, Oklahoma;
Latitude: 34 degrees, 45 minutes, 55.60 seconds N;
Longitude: 99 degrees, 52 minutes, 7.30 seconds W.
Datum: NAD 83.

Decimal Degrees
Std Latitude: 34.7654457
Std Longitude: -99.8686981

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: A typic-ustic soil moisture regime.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in)
Depth to identifiable secondary carbonate: 76 to more than 203 cm (30 to more than 80 in)
Some pedons have a few redox features below 76 cm (30 in)
Some pedons have Permian redbed sediments below 152 cm (60 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Total clay content: 18 to 32 percent
Total sand content: 30 to 70 percent
Coarse Fragments: 0 to 3 percent
CEC/clay ratio: more than 0.6

A Horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 (2 or 3 moist)
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand
Coarse fragments: 0 to 2 percent rounded gravel
Effervescence: Noneffervescent
Reaction (pH): Slightly acid to neutral (6.1 to 7.3)

AB or BA Horizon (where present)
Thickness: 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in)
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 (2 or 3 moist)
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam
Total clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 2 percent rounded gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 percent
Electrical conductivity (dS/m): 0 to 1
Gypsum: 0 percent
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 1
Effervescence: Noneffervescent
Reaction (pH): Slightly acid to slightly alkaline (6.1 to 7.8)

Upper Bt Horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 (2 or 3 moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, loam
Total clay content: 18 to 32 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 3 percent rounded gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 percent
Electrical conductivity (dS/m): 0 to 1
Gypsum: 0 percent
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 1
Effervescence: Noneffervescent
Reaction (pH): Slightly acid to slightly alkaline (6.1 to 7.8)

Lower Bt and/or Btk Horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 (2 or 3 moist)
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, loam, fine sandy loam
Total clay content: 10 to 32 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 1 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent rounded gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: none to common - films, masses, or threads
Electrical conductivity (dS/m): 0 to 2
Gypsum: 0 to 1 percent
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 4
Effervescence: Noneffervescent to strongly effervescent
Reaction (pH): Neutral to moderately alkaline (6.6 to 8.4)

BC or BCk Horizon
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 (3 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, loam, or fine sandy loam
Total clay content: 10 to 37 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 2 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent rounded gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: none to common - films, masses, or threads
Electrical conductivity (dS/m): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 2 percent
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 4
Effervescence: Noneffervescent to strongly effervescent
Reaction (pH): Neutral to moderately alkaline (6.6 to 8.4)

C Horizon
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 (3 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: variable and ranges from loamy sand to clay
Total clay content: 5 to 50 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent rounded gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Electrical Conductivity (dS/m): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 2 percent
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 4
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent
Reaction (pH): Moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)

COMPETING SERIES:
These are the Cuero, Smithville, Texroy, and Tipton series.
Cuero: These soils formed in residual material derived from sandstone in a warmer and moister climate
Smithville: These soils occur on lower terraces in a warmer and moister climate.
Texroy: These soils have carbonate within 76 cm (30 in) of the surface and occur in a drier climate.
Tipton: These soils occur on lower, younger terraces of Holocene or late Pleistocene age.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy and/or sandy alluvium
Landform: treads of older stream terraces of Pleistocene age
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Mean annual precipitation range: 559 to 711 mm (22 to 28 in)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 32 to 44
Mean annual air temperature range: 14.4 to 17.8 degrees C (58 to 64 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 190 to 230 days
Elevation: 304.8 to 914.4 meters (1000 to 3000 feet)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the Abilene, Devol, Grandfield, Grandmore, McKnight, Miles, and Springer series.
Abilene: These soils have more than 35 percent clay content in the particle-size control section and occur on slightly lower adjacent positions.
Devol and Springer: These soils have an ochric epipedon, less than 18 percent clay content in the particle-size control section, and occur on higher convex ridges.
Grandfield, Grandmore, McKnight, and Miles: These soils have an ochric epipedon and occur on slightly higher convex areas.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Well drained
Permeability class: Moderate
Runoff class: Negligible on less than 1 percent slopes and low on 1 to 3 percent slopes

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: Crop production
Native vegetation: mid and tall grasses
Ecological sites assigned to phases and components of this series are listed below. Current ecological site assignments are in Web Soil Survey. Components of this series include the following ecological sites: Sandy Loam

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General area: western Oklahoma and northwestern Texas
Land Resource Region: H - Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range Region
MLRA 78B - Central Rolling Red Plains, Western part and 78C - Central Rolling Red Plains, Eastern part
Extent: Moderate

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County, Oklahoma; 1959.

REMARKS:
Edited 11/2014 (RFG-ROG): 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: 43 to 93 cm (17 to 37_in)
Mollic epipedon: 0 69 cm (0 to 27 in) (Ap and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon: 43 to 241 cm (17 to 95 in) (Bt and Btk horizons)

Additional Comments: These soils were included in the Abilene series in some early published surveys.

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by laboratory data number S03ok-057-004 from Harmon County, Oklahoma.

ADDITIONAL DATA: KSSL data sampled as Altus # S03ok-057-004

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.