LOCATION GRITER TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Griter fine sandy loam, in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A-0 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine pores; few siliceous pebbles; few worm casts; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 20 inches thick)
Btl-7 to 16 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) sandy clay, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse angular blocky; very hard, very firm sticky and plastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; common fine pores; few pressure faces; few clay films on surfaces of peds; few chert pebbles; common fine faint reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces of peds; few worm casts; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--16 to 27 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine pores; few clay films on surfaces of peds; few chert pebbles; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and common fine distinct strong brown(7.5YR 5/6) iron masses on surfaces of peds; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--27 to 37 inches; light red (2.5YR 6/6) sandy clay loam, red (2.5YR 5/6) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine pores; few clay films on horizontal surfaces of peds; few iron stains on surfaces of peds; few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; few ironstone pebbles; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) iron masses on surfaces of peds; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.(Combined thickness of Bt subhorizons is 17 to 45 inches)
BCtl--37 to 51 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, firm; sticky and plastic: few very fine roots; common fine pores; few clay films on surfaces of peds and in pores; few iron stains on surfaces of peds; 1/4 inch thick layer of weakly cemented sandstone between this layer and the BCt2 layer, few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; few ironstone pebbles; common medium distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses at interiors of peds; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
BCt2--51 to 56 inches; mottled very pale brown (10YR 7/4), reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) and reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) sandy clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and yellowish red (5YR 5/8) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; 10 percent thin layers of weakly cemented sandstone throughout; few clay films on horizontal surfaces of peds; few iron stains on surfaces of peds; few fine brown iron-manganese concretions; few fine crystals of gypsum; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of BCt subhorizons is 10 to 25 inches)
C-56 to 80 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) weakly consolidated sandstone that has a sandy clay loam texture, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; hard, firm; common very fine roots; 20 percent thin layers and fragments of weakly cemented sandstone; few iron stains on upper surfaces of peds; few fine brown iron-manganese concretions; few fine gypsum crystals; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Gonzales County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 87 and Texas Highway 80 in Nixon; 5 mile south on Texas Highway 80 to the intersection with City of Nixon 8th Street, 3 mile east on 8th Street until it merges into County Road. 2.5 miles southeast, 0.5 mile east, 0.6 mile north, 0.7 mile south on County Road, 0.3 mile east on ranch road; 50 feet north in rangeland. USGS Bald Mound topographic quadrangle; Latitude; 29 degrees, 14 minutes, 20 seconds N; Longitude; 97 degrees, 42 minutes, 20 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Clay content of the particle size control section ranges from 35 to 50 Percent. Base saturation of the argillic horizon ranges from 75 to 95 percent. Depth to secondary carbonates ranges from 25 to 40 inches.
Electrical conductivity ranges from 0 to 10 dS/m in the Bt and lower horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 416, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.
The upper Bt horizons have hue of SYR to 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 6. Iron concentrations in the form of masses are in shades of brown, red or yellow and range from none to common. Texture is sandy clay or clay. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The lower Bt horizons or Btk horizons, where present, have hue of SYR to 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8. Iron concentrations in the form of masses are in shades of brown, red and yellow and are none to common. Texture is sandy clay loam or sandy clay. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Concretions, masses, and threads of calcium carbonate ranges from 0 to 5 percent by volume.
The BCt horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 8. Iron concentrations in the form of masses are in shades of red, brown or yellow and range from none to few. Weakly cemented fragments of sandstone ranges from 3 to 15 percent. Texture is sandy clay loam or sandy clay. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Some pedons have a BCtk horizon with
similar colors, texture, and reaction. Concretions and masses of calcium carbonate range from 0 to 5 percent.
The C or Cr horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 2 to 4. Mottles in shades of brown, red and yellow ranges from none to common. Concretions and masses of calcium carbonate and crystals of gypsum range from 0 to 5 percent. Weakly cemented layers and fragments of sandstone range from 5 to 25 percent. Size and content of sandstone fragments increase with depth. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam or stratified sandstone with
these textures. Reaction Is neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Floresville (TX),
Miguel (TX), and Wiloo (TX) series. Similar soils are the
Gillette,
Papalote, and
Pedernales series.
Floresvitle and Miguel soils have solum thickness of 60 to more than 80 inches.
Wilco soils do not have carbonates within 40 inches of the surface. Gillett soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Papalote soils have redox depletions within 30 inches of the surface. Pedernales soils have a thermic soil temperature regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Griter soils are on uplands. Slopes are dominantly less than 5 percent but range from 1 to 8 percent. Surfaces are plane to convex. The soil formed in clayey and loamy sediments weathered from interbedded and weakly cemented sandstone, mainly of the Yegua Formation. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 32 inches, and mean annual air temperature ranges from 70 to 74 degrees F. Frost free days range from 275 to 300, and
elevation ranges from 200 to 500 feet. Thomthwaite P-E indices range from 38 to about 44.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Bryde, Clareville, Ecleto, Floresville, Gillett, and Papalote series. Bryde soils have vertic properties and are in similar positions. Clareville soils have a mollic epipedon and occur in lower positions. Ecleto soils are less than 20 inches deep to sandstone and are in higher positions. Floresville soils have very deep solum and are in similar positions. Gillett soils are moderately deep to sandstone and are on slightly higher positions. Papalote soils are in lower positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is slow. Runoff is medium on 1 to 5 percent slopes, and high on 5 to 8 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas are cultivated to cotton, grain sorghum and peanuts. Most areas are in rangeland and improved pasture. Native grasses consist of little bluestem, feathery bluestem, Nash and hooded windmiligrass, Texas and plains bristlegrass. Invaders are mainly woody; they are mesquite trees, spiny hackberry, and pricklypear.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Rio Grande Plains of Texas (MLRA 83A). This soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gonzales County, Texas; 1996. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - 7 to 56 inches. (Bt & BCt horizons)
Pale feature - Abrupt texture change at 7 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Gonzales County; NSSL Soil Characterization Lab S93TX-177-008.