LOCATION CONGER                  TX+NM

Established Series
Rev. ERB-NRC-JCW
01/2016

CONGER SERIES

The Conger series consists of soils that are very shallow and shallow to a petrocalcic horizon. They are well drained soils that are, moderately permeable above and below a very slowly permeable petrocalcic horizon. They formed in calcareous loamy eolian deposits over alluvium derived from limestone. These soils are on nearly level to gently sloping ridges and divides on dissected plateaus. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 356 mm (14 in) and mean annual air temperature is 18.3 degrees C (65 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Ustic Petrocalcids

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

A--0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky; common very fine and fine roots and pores; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine platy surface crust about 1/4 inch thick; 2 percent strongly cemented fragments of calcium carbonate less than 0.5 inch in diameter; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. Thickess is 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in)

Bw--15 to 43 cm (6 to 17 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard; friable; sticky; common very fine roots and pores; 10 percent moderately to strongly cemented calcium carbonate fragments less than 0.5 inch in diameter; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. Thickness is 0 to 38 cm (0 to 15 in)

Bkkm--43 to 99 cm (17 to 39 in); white caliche plates with a laminar upper surface layer 1/2 inch thick; caliche plates are strongly cemented; abrupt wavy boundary. Thickness is 13 to 76 cm (5 to 30 in)

BCk--99 to 203 cm (39 to 80 in); white weakly cemented caliche materials with about 50 percent visible calcium carbonate; massive.

TYPE LOCATION: Andrews County, Texas; From Andrews, Texas, 29 miles south on Texas Highway 173, 200 feet north in rangeland.
USGS topographic quadrangle: Eunice NE, Texas;
Latitude: 32 degrees, 25 minutes, 00 seconds N;
Longitude: 103 degrees, 05 minutes, 00 seconds W;
Datum: WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Ustic Aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 17.8 to 21.1 degrees (64 to 70 degrees F).
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 20 to 51 cm (8 to 20 in)
Thickness of the ochric epipedon: 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in)
Thickness of the petrocalcic horizon, 13 to 76 cm (5 to 30 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent

A Horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or their gravelly counterparts
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent; gravel and cobbles; calcrete (caliche) or limestone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction (pH): moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)

Bw or Bk Horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam, clay loam, or their gravely or cobbly counterparts
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 45 percent; gravel or cobbles; calcrete (caliche) or limestone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Effervescence: violent
Reaction (pH): moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)

Bkkm Horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 7 or 8
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: Cemented plates 3 to 10 cm (1 to 4 in) thick that are laminar in the upper 1 to 5 cm (1/2 to 2 in)
Cementation: strong or indurated
Effervescence: violent

BCk Horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 7 or 8
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, and their gravelly counterparts
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent; gravel and cobbles; calcrete (caliche) or limestone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 35 to 70 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Effervescence: violent
Reaction(pH): moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blakeney, Kolar, and Shumla series in the same family. Similar soils are the Ector, Kimbrough, Simona, Upton, Veal, and Wink series.
Blakeney and Simona soils: have less than 18 percent clay throughout
Kolar soils: have less than 18 percent clay in the control section and have soil temperatures of 15.0 to 17.2 degrees C (59 to 63 degrees F)
Shumla soils: have a petrocalcic horizon over limestone bedrock at 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in)
Ector and Kimbrough soils: have mollic epipedons
Simona, Upton, and Wink soils: are dry for more than 3/4 of the time
Veal soils: do not have indurated caliche within 51 cm (20 in) of the surface

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous loamy alluvium or colluvium derived from limestone
Landscape: dissected plateaus
Landform: ridges, divides, and footslopes
Slope: 0 to 5 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 254 to 432 mm (10 to 17 in)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 18 to 25
Mean annual air temperature: 16.7 to 18.3 degrees C (62 to 65 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 210 to 240 days
Elevation: 457.2 to 1097.3 m (1500 to 3600 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Blakeney and Kimbrough series and Potter, Ratliff, and Reagan series.
Blakeney and Kimbrough soils: occur on similar positions.
Potter soils: are underlain by soft caliche at depths of less than 30 cm (12 in) and occur in similar positions.
Ratliff and Reagan soils: are deeper than 203 cm (80 in) and occur on broad alluvial flats in slightly lower positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate above and below the very slowly permeable petrocalcic horizon. Runoff is low on slopes less than 1 percent, medium on 1 to 3 percent slopes and high on 3 to 5 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland. Present vegetation consists of grama grasses, tobosa grass, plains bristlegrass, threeawn, burrograss, and a few small mesquite trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern parts of the High Plains, western Edwards Plateau, and Trans-Pecos areas in far west Texas and in New Mexico. (MLRA 77D, 81A, 70, and 42). The soil is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Andrews County, Texas; 1970.

REMARKS:
These soils were formerly included in the Upton series.

Edited 01/2016 (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 43 cm (10 to 17 in). (A and Bw horizon)
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in). (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - 15 to 43 cm (6 to 17 in). (Bw horizon)
Petrocalcic horizon - 43 to 99 cm (17 to 39 in). (Bkm horizon)

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

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.