LOCATION FRIONA                  TX+NM

Established Series
Rev. TCB-JKA-RM
05/2014

FRIONA SERIES

The Friona series consists of soils that are moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon. They are well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in loamy eolian sediments from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age. These soils are on nearly level to gently sloping plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 483 mm (19 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 16 degrees C (61 degrees F)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Petrocalcic Paleustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Friona loam, on south-facing, nearly level, convex, 0.5 percentslope (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)

Ap--0 to 20 (0 to 8 in); brown (7.5YR 4/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; many fine roots; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (Thickness is 13 to 25 cm ([5 to 10 in].)

Bt1--20 to 38 cm (8 to 15 in); brown (7.5YR 4/2), sandy clay loam; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, friable; many fine roots, many fine tubular pores; many worm casts; common faint clay films on ped surfaces; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--38 to 66 cm (15 to 26 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; hard, friable; many fine roots, many fine tubular pores; common worm casts; common faint clay films on ped surfaces; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizon is 30 to 89 cm [12 to 35 in].)

Btk--66 to 79 cm (26 to 31 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; hard, friable; common very fine roots, common fine tubular pores; common worm casts; common faint clay films on ped surfaces; about 5 percent calcium carbonate in the form of films, filaments, nodules, and fine masses; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (Thickness is 0 to 25 cm ([0 to 10 in].)

Bkkm--79 to 89 cm (31 to 35 in); pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) indurated platy caliche, strongly cemented in lower part; the upper surface is laminar and smooth; the lower part has pendants of calcium carbonate up to 1 cm long; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness is 5 to 61 cm [2 to 24 in].)

B'tk1--89 to 150 cm (35 to 59 in); pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) sandy clay loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; common very fine and fine pores; few faint clay films; about 45 percent calcium carbonate by volume in the form of masses and nodules; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness is 25 to 76 cm [10 to 30 in].)

B'tk2--150 to 203 cm (59 to 80 in); pink (5YR 7/4) sandy clay loam, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; common very fine and fine pores; few faint clay films; about 20 percent calcium carbonate by volume in the form of masses and nodules; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Parmer County, Texas; About 3 miles west of Lazbuddie on County Road 145 and 3 miles south on county road, 1,600 ft west and 1,000 ft south of the northeast corner sec. 38 Doud and Keefer Survey in cultivated field. Lazbuddie SW, Texas USGS quad; Latitude: 34 degrees, 20 minutes, 27.5 seconds N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 40 minutes, 30.2 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 180 but less than 220 days, cumulative, in normal years. July through August and December throughFebruary are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through June.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 64 degrees F)
Depth to argillic horizon: 13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 in)
Depth to secondary carbonates: 38 to 91 cm (15 to 36 in)
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 50 to 89 cm (20 to 35 in)
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in)
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent silicate clay.

A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Bt horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: films and filaments range from few to none
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Btk horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: 3 to 10 percent by volume in the form of films, filaments, masses, and nodules.
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline

Bkkm horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: indurated caliche layer containing a few fractures, it is laminar in the upper part with pisolitic structure below the laminae; becomes softer below the pisolitic layer.
Petrocalcic horizon: 2 to 24 in but ranges to several ft thick in some pedons.

B'tk horizons:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: 10 to 50 percent by volume, ranging from thin soft
coatings on macro structure to cemented vertical stringers, masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates.
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline

Bkk horizon (where present):
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: 50 to 70 percent by volume as masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates.
Calcium carbonate by weight: 40 to 60 percent.
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Lea series. Similar soils also include the Arvana, Kimberson, Sharvana, and Stegall series.
Lea soils: have a soil moisture control section that is dry for longer periods; in addition the petrocalcic horizon in the Lea series ranges to greater depths.
Arvana and Sharvana soils: do not have a mollic epipedon; in addition the Sharvana series has a petrocalcic horizon within 50 cm (20 in) of the soil surface.
Kimberson soils: have a petrocalcic horizon within 50 cm (20 in) of the mineral soil surface; in addition the Kimberson series does not have an argillic horizon.
Stegall soils: have more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: moderately fine textured eolian deposits from the Blackwater
Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: nearly level to gently sloping plains.
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C (57 to 63 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 432 to 533 mm (17 to 21 in)
Frost-free period: 185 to 220 days.
Elevation: 1,036 to 1,615 m (3,400 to 5,300 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 25 to 36.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Lea series and the similar Arvana, Kimberson, Sharvana, and Stegall soils, and the Acuff, Bovina, Estacado, Olton, Pep, and Pullman soils.
Arvana, Kimberson, Lea, Sharvana, and Stegall soils: are on similar landscape positions.
Acuff, Bovina, Estacado, Olton, Pep, and Pullman soils: are on similar landscape positions and do not have a petrocalcic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability of the soil above the petrocalcic horizon is moderate and the permeability of the petrocalcic horizon is slow. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 1 percent and low on slopes of 1 to 3 percent.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for crop production. Principal crops grown are cotton, grain sorghum, and wheat. Climax rangeland vegetation is mainly mid and short grasses and includes blue grama, sideoates grama, and buffalograss, with lesser amounts of vine-mesquite, western wheatgrass, galleta or tobosa, silver bluestem, wild alfalfa, and prairieclover with a light to moderate overstory of mesquite. This soil has been correlated to the Deep Hardland R077CY022TX) ecological site in MLRA-77C.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains, Southern Part (MLRA 77C in LRR H) of western Texas and eastern New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Parmer County, Texas; 1972.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Lea and Stegall series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - 0 to 38 cm (0 to 15 in) (Ap and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - 20 to 213 cm 8 to 84 in) (Bt horizons)
Petrocalcic horizon - 79 to 89 cm (31 to 35 in) (Bkkm horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL--S04TX-303-002 (Lubbock County, Texas)

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.