LOCATION HICO                    TX

Tentative Series
Rev. SCP-CMR
09/2020

HICO SERIES

The Hico series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in loamy residuum from sandstone and siltstone of Cretaceous age. These soils occur on very gently sloping to moderately sloping backslopes of low ridges on hills. Slope are 1 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 813 mm (32 in),and mean annual air temperature is about 18.3 degrees C (65 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Udic Haplustalfs

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

Ap--0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in); brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many very fine roots; 1 percent wormcast; noneffervescent; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in); brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular structure; slightly hard, friable; many very fine roots; 1 percent wormcast; noneffervescent; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. Combined Thickness of A horizons is 6 to 46 cm (2 to 18 in)

Bt1--30 to 46 cm (12 to 18 in); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; common fine roots; 1 percent wormcast; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--46 to 94 cm (18 to 37 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; common fine roots; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt3--94 to 130 cm (37 to 51 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (55YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; few fine faint brown (7.5YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; hard, firm; few fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 30 to 120 cm (11 to 47 in)

BCk--130 to 1203 cm (51 to 80 in); light gray (10YR 8/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 7/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; 1 percent fine calcium carbonate concretions; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline. Thickness of BCk horizon is 50 to 130 cm (20 to 51 in)

TYPE LOCATION: Hamilton County, Texas;
Typical pedon of Cisco fine sandy loam, 1 to 5 percent slopes; from the intersection of Texas Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 281 in Hico, 0.8 south on U.S. Highway 281, 4.7 miles south on Farm Road 1602, 0.6 mile west on private road, and 900 feet north of farm house in old cropland field. USGS topographic quadrangle: Hico, TX;
Latitude: 31 degrees, 55 minutes, 14.83 seconds, N;
Longitude: 98 degrees, 0 minutes, 26.03 seconds, W;
Datum: WGS84.
UTM Easting 593855.02 m, UTM Northing 33532085.36m; UTM Zone 14.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: udic ustic soil moisture regime.
Solum thickness: 150 to 203 cm (60 to 80 in)
Depth to argillic horizon: 8 to 46 cm (3 to 18 in)
Depth to secondary carbonates: 42 to 144 cm (16 to 57 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent. More than 20 percent (relative) decrease in clay from the maximum within a depth of 152 cm (60 in)
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent, rounded siliceous pebbles in some pedons

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam
Reaction (pH): slightly acid to neutral (6.1 - 7.3)

Bt horizons
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: sandy clay, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 37 percent
Reaction (pH): slightly acid to slightly alkaline (6.1 - 7.8)


Btk or BCk horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 8
Chroma: 2 to 8
Texture: sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam, silt clay loam and may be interbedded with noncemented sandstone
Redox features: few to many; yellow, brown, and red
Identifiable secondary carbonate: 0 to 5 percent by volume; concretions, films, masses, and threads
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction (pH): slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (7.4 - 8.4)

Cd horizon (where present)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 2 to 8
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, or silty loam
Effervescence: none to violent
Reaction (pH): slightly acid to moderately alkaline (6.1 - 8.4)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Duffau, Fairy, Gholson, Lavender, May, and Personville soils in the same family.
Duffau soils: do not secondary carbonates within a depth of 150 cm (60 in)
Fairy soils: have a calcic horizon within a depth of 150 cm (60 in)
Gholson and May soils: occur on stream terraces in slightly moister climates
Lavender and Personville soils: have a lithic contact within a depth of 150 cm (60 in)

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy residuum derived from sandstone and siltstone of Cretaceous age
Landscape: hills
Landform: side slopes and base slopes of low ridges
Slope: 1 to 8 percent
Precipitation Pattern: The majority of the yearly amount occurs during the fall and spring months. The winter and summer months are normally drier.
Mean annual precipitation: 693 to 941 mm (27 to 37 in)
Mean annual temperature: 17.1 to 18.3 degrees C (63 to 65 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 210 to 240 days
Elevation: 182 to 641 m (595 to 2,100 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the May, Fairy, Nimrod, Selden, Windthorst and Wise series.
Selden soils: occur on slightly lower positions and have gray mottles in the Bt horizons
Wise soils: occur on slightly higher positions, do not have argillic horizons, and have carbonates in the upper part of the solum
May soils: occur on slightly lower stream terraces
Fairy soils: occur on similar positions and have calcic horizons in lower horizons
Nimrod soils: occur on slightly higher positions, have gray mottles in the Bt horizons, and have arenic surface layers
Windthorst soils: occur on slightly higher positions and have more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: well
Permeability class: moderate
Runoff: negligible on slopes less than 1 percent, low on 1 to 5 percent slopes, and medium on 5 to 8 percent slopes

USE AND VEGETATION:
The major use is livestock grazing, but the many areas were extensively cultivated in the past. Some areas are cultivated, with peanuts, sorghums, and small grains being the main crops. The native plant community is a dense cover of post oak trees, with grassy understory of little bluestem, sideoats grama, and silver bluestem.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General location: north-central Texas
Land Resource Region: J-Southwestern Prairies Cotton and Forage Region
Major Land Resource Area: 84B-West Cross Timbers
Extent: moderate
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hamilton County, Texas; 2020.

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

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Particle-size control section: 30 to 80 cm (12 to 32 in) (Bt1 and Bt2)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 30 cm (0 to 12 in) (Ap and A1 horizon)
Argillic horizon: 30 to 130 cm (12 to 51 in) (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3)
Depth to secondary carbonates; 130 to 203 cm (51 to 80 in.)

ADDITIONAL DATA:
KSSL Data from S2018TX093004

TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.