LOCATION HASSEE TXEstablished Series
The Hassee series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, very slow permeable soils that formed in alkaline clayey alluvium. These nearly level to very gently sloping soils are on plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Aquic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Hassee loam--pastureland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse blocky structure parting to moderately fine and very fine subangular blocky moist, massive when dry; hard, very friable; common fine and very fine roots; few siliceous pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; neutral, clear smooth boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick)
A--3 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure moist, massive when dry; hard, very friable; common fine and very fine roots; few siliceous pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
E--7 to 11 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure moist; massive when dry; hard, very friable; few fine and medium roots; few siliceous pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 21 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; few fine faint brown mottles; weak coarse blocky structure parting to moderate fine blocky; very hard, firm; few fine and very fine roots; shiny ped surfaces; patchy clay films; few siliceous pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; few small slickensides; loamy material along old cracks, 18 to 24 inches apart; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--21 to 36 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; few fine faint brown mottles; weak coarse blocky structure parting to moderate fine blocky; very hard, firm; few fine and very fine roots; shiny ped surfaces; patchy clay films; few siliceous pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; few pressure faces and few small slickensides; loamy material along old cracks, 18 to 24 inches apart; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Btk1--36 to 47 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay; dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; few fine faint brown mottles; weak fine and medium blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine and very fine roots; few siliceous pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; few shiny ped surfaces; patchy clay films; common films, threads, and soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; diffuse smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Btk2--47 to 55 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; common fine distinct olive (5Y 5/3) mottles; weak medium blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine and very fine roots; few siliceous pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; few shiny ped surfaces; patchy clay films; common films, threads, and soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
BCk1--55 to 69 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) mottles; weak medium and coarse blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine roots; few siliceous pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; common films, threads and few soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
BCk2--69 to 80 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine and medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; weak medium and coarse blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine roots; few siliceous pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; few films, threads and soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Eastland County, Texas: From the intersection of Farm Road 2214 and Farm Road 2461 at Staff, 0.7 mile southeast on Farm Road 2214, 2.1 miles south on winding county road and 150 feet south in pasture. (Latitude: 32 degrees, 18 minutes, 48 seconds N; Longitude: 98 degrees, 42 minutes, 08 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 60 to more than 80 inches thick. A few pebbles of quartz, chert, or ironstone are present in some pedons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is fine sandy loam or loam.
Reaction is slightly acid or neutral. The A horizon is both hard or very hard and massive when dry.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is fine sandy loam or loam and reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bt and Btk horizons have hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Mottles in shades of red, brown, or yellow range from none to common. Texture is clay or silty clay. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline and calcareous. There are soft masses and concretions of calcium carbonate below a depth of 28 inches.
The BC horizons are in shades of gray and brown. Texture is clay loam or clay. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline and calcareous. Masses and concretions of calcium carbonate range from few to common.
COMPETING SERIES: These are Falba, Niotaze in the same family and the Arol, Cadell, Chazos, Gredge, Singleton and Chaney series. Falba, Arol, Niotaze and Singleton soils have a paralithic contact between a depth of 20 and 40 inches. Cadell soils have sola 40 to 60 inches thick to tuffaceous sediments. Chazos and Gredge soils have Bt1 horizons that are redder and more acid. Chaney soils are not ponded and have relict redoximorphic features, reddish argillic horizons and mixed mineralology.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on nearly level to very gently sloping plains with concave to plane surfaces. Slope gradients range from 0 to 3 percent but are generally less than 2 percent. Soil areas are typically oval shaped depressions that receive water from surrounding soils. The soils formed in alkaline clayey sediments. The mean annual temperature ranges from 64 to 67 degrees F. Average annual precipitation ranges from 26 to 32 inches, and Thornthwaite annual P-E indices range from 40 to 50. Frost free period is 230 to 240 days and elevation ranges from 600 to 1300 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonti, Chaney, Truce, and Windthorst series. These soils have reddish argillic horizons and mixed mineralogy and they are above Hassee in the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained negligible to low surface runoff; very slow internal drainage and permeability. The soil is ponded or a perched water table is present from a depth of 0 to 12 inches during the growing season for very brief or brief periods after heavy or prolonged rainfall.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly cultivated to forage sorghums, grain sorghums, and small grains. Native vegetation is a sparse cover of mid and short grasses, and mesquite with a few scattered post oak trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in the Cross Timbers and Central Rolling Prairies of north-central Texas. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eastland County, Texas; 1972.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Waurika series. Classification changed from Mollic Albaqualfs to Aquic Paleudalfs 3/92. These soils do not
have a aquic moisture regime however water is perched on the Bt for brief periods during periods with above normal rainfall.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the Ap, A and E horizon - 0 to 11 inches.
-low chroma and value meet mollic color requirements, however surface is both hard and massive when dry, organic matter content is less than 1 percent, excluding this soil from Mollisol order.
Pale feature - Abrupt textural change at 11 inches.
Argillic horizon - 11 to 55 inches.
Aquic properties - the E and B horizon, from 7 to 80 inches, have low chroma associated with brown and olive mottles.
ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory - Eastland County, Texas, S72TX-133-3(72L072), and data from type location S79TX-133-002(79P917-926).