LOCATION ESTELLA TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, hyperthermic Oxyaquic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Estella fine sand--on an east facing, linear, 0 to 1 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 10 meters (33 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A1--0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; loose; 7 percent fine and very fine roots; 6 percent fine and very fine pores; 3 percent fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron accumulation along root channels; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
A2--25 to 43 cm (10 to 17 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable; 5 percent fine and very fine and 2 percent medium roots; 5 percent fine and very fine pores; 7 percent fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron accumulation along root channels; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizon is 18 to 74 cm [7 to 29 in])
E1--43 to 91 cm (17 to 36 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable; 5 percent fine and very fine roots; 2 percent fine and very fine pores; 10 percent fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and 3 percent fine distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) masses of oxidized iron accumulation along root channels; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
E2--91 to 145 cm (36 to 57 inches); very pale brown (10YR 8/3) fine sand, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable; 3 percent fine and very fine roots; 3 percent fine and very fine pores; 3 percent fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron oxidized accumulation along root channels; 5 percent medium faint light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the E horizon is 48 to 150 cm [19 to 59 in])
2Btg1--145 to 185 cm (57 to 73 inches); pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) loamy fine sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; weak very coarse and coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable; 2 percent fine and very fine roots; 5 percent fine and very fine pores; 4 percent fine distinct clay bridging along root channels; 6 percent fine and medium black (2.5Y 2.5/1) iron-manganese masses with diffuse boundaries; 1 percent fine distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions; 10 percent fine and medium distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4), 4 percent fine and medium distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) and 2 percent fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron accumulation on surfaces along pores and root channels; slightly sodic; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the 2Btg horizons is 10 to 69 cm [4 to 27 in])
2Btg2--185 to 203 cm (73 to 80 inches); pale yellow (2.5Y 8/3) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable; 2 percent fine and very fine roots; 3 percent fine and very fine pores; 2 percent fine distinct clay bridging along root channels; 5 percent fine and medium black (2.5Y 2.5/1) iron-manganese masses with clear and diffuse boundaries; 2 percent fine faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) and 1 percent fine and medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) masses of oxidized iron accumulation on surfaces along pores and root channels; slightly sodic; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Kenedy County, Texas; from the intersection of La Parra Avenue and U.S. Highway 77 in Sarita; 8.9 miles south on U.S. Highway 77 to ranch gate; 0.8 mile east on ranch road; 0.5 mile north on ranch road; 1.4 miles northeast on ranch road; 0.6 mile northwest on ranch road; 200 feet west in rangeland. Turcotte, Texas USGS topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 27 degrees, 06 minutes, 44.0 seconds N.; Longitude: 97 degrees, 46 minutes, 00.0 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An Ustic moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 90 cumulative days in normal years. The SMCS is also either moist in some or all parts for 180 cumulative days or more, or moist for 90 consecutive days or more in normal years. November through April are the driest months, with a second low in July, while September is the wettest.
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 22 to 23 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F)
Depth to argillic horizon: 114 to 178 cm (45 to 70 in)
Depth to redox concentrations: 0 to 51 cm (0 to 20 in)
Depth to redox depletions: 91 to 203 cm (36 to 80 in)
Depth to endosaturation: 51 to 203 cm (20 to 80 in), from November to April.
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Sand content: 75 to 85 percent
CEC/clay ratio: 0.40 to 0.60
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sand, or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 2 to 7 percent
Redox concentrations: amount- none to common; size-fine or medium; contrast-faint to prominent; boundary-clear or gradual; location-throughout
EC (dS/m): 0 to 2
SAR: 0 to 4
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
E horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 to 8
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sand, or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 2 to 7 percent
Redox concentrations: amount- few or common; size- fine or medium; contrast- faint or distinct.
Redox depletions: amount- none or few, mainly in the lower E horizons; size- fine; contrast faint or distinct; boundary-clear or gradual; location-throughout
EC (dS/m): 0 to 4
SAR: 0 to 4
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
2Btg horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Redox concentrations: amount- few or common; size- fine or medium; contrast- faint or distinct; boundary-clear or gradual; location-throughout
Redox depletions: amount- none to common; size- fine or medium; contrast- faint or distinct; boundary-clear or gradual; location-throughout
EC (dS/m): 0 to 4
SAR: 0 to 12
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the
Atiras (TX),
Lopeno (TX),
Medanito (TX),
Nueces (TX),
Padrones (TX),
Potrero (TX), and
Sarita (TX) series.
Atiras soils: moderately well drained, do not have a fluctuating water table within 203 cm (80 in) of the surface, have buried A horizons, and support a distinctively different liveoak vegetative community.
Lopeno soils: are moderately well drained and have buried A horizons.
Medanito, Nueces and Padrones soils: have a surface horizon 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in) thick. In addition, Medanito and Padrones soils have a natric horizon.
Potrero soils: are loamy and have a surface 102 cm (40 in) or more thick.
Sarita soils: are well drained, do not have a fluctuating water table within 203 cm (80 in) of the surface, and have common or many coarse redox concentrations with hue of 7.5YR or redder or chroma of 6 or more in the lower one-half of the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian sands of Holocene age over loamy sediments of Quaternary age
Landform: sandsheet
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual temperature: 22 to 23 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 635 to 711 mm (25 to 28 in)
Frost-free period: 310 to 341 days
Elevation: 3 to 17 meters (10 to 55 ft)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 31 to 36
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Falfurrias,
Padrones,
Palobia,
Quiteria,
Sarita, and
Topo series.
Falfurrias soils: do not have an argillic horizon and occur on higher landscapes.
Padrones, Palobia and Quiteria soils: have sandy surface horizons less than 102 cm (40 in) thick, have natric horizons, and occur on similar landscapes.
Sarita soils: do not have a water table and occur on slightly higher landscapes.
Topo soils: have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section, are more saline throughout, and occur in deflation basins.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Moderately rapid permeability. Runoff is negligible.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation consists of mid to tall grasses such as seacoast bluestem, gulf cordgrass, marshay cordgrass, gulfdune paspalum and threeawn. The ecological site is Sandy, PE 31-44 (R083EY706TX).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sandsheet Prairie (MLRA 83E in LRR I) on the coastal plains of southern Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kenedy County, Texas, 2007. The name Estella comes from a well site in Kenedy County.
REMARKS: This series was formerly included in the Sarita series. The series was separated based on the presence of redoximorphic concentrations within the upper 51 cm (20 in), fluctuating water table, and difference in drainage class. This soil would classify as loamy, mixed, active, hyperthermic Grossarenic Oxyaquic Haplustalfs if provided for in Soil Taxonomy.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: 145 to 196 cm (57 to 77 in). (2Btg horizons)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 43 cm (0 to 17 in). (A horizons)
Argillic horizon: 145 cm 203 cm (57 to 80 in). (2Btg horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations: 0 to 203 cm (0 to 80 in). (A, E and 2Btg horizons)
Redoximorphic depletions: 91 to 203 cm (36 to 80 in). (E2 and 2Btg horizons)
Endosaturation: 51 to 203 cm (20 to 80 in), in most years from November to April
Lithologic discontinuity: 145 to 203 cm (57 to 80 in). Calcium/Magnesium rations showed disruption in the plotted curve; also a change in the ratio of fine sand to very fine sand.
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by laboratory data number S00TX-261-005 from Kenedy County, Texas.
ADDITIONAL DATA: TAMU data from Kenedy County, TX (S00TX-261-005).
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006