LOCATION HOLGUIN                 TX+AZ

Established Series
Rev. LEL/JLR/ACT
10/2012

HOLGUIN SERIES

The Holguin series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained, moderately permeable soils over very slowly permeable conglomerate bedrock. These gently undulating to undulating soils formed in residuum weathered from conglomerate members of the Duff and Pruett Formations and are on hills. Slopes range from 1 to 20 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 65 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Holguin very gravelly sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many prominent continuous white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; 30 percent subrounded fine and medium igneous gravel, and 15 percent subrounded coarse tuffaceous sandstone gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

BCk--9 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely channery sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium granular and subangular blocky structure; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; common irregular pores; laminar calcium carbonate coatings 1 to 2 mm thick in some horizontal fractures; many prominent continuous white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; 80 percent subangular tuffaceous sandstone channers; violently effervescent, 4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)

R--19 to 60 inches; unweathered conglomerate bedrock; indurated; indurated laminar cap 1 to 3 mm thick; many prominent continuous white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coatings in fractures; violently effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Brewster County, Texas; from the junction of U.S. Highway 90 and Texas Highway 118 in Alpine; 32.3 miles south on Texas Highway 118 to 02 Ranch headquarters gate, 2.55 miles southwest on 02 Ranch headquarters road to Whirlwind Spring Corral, 1.90 miles northwest, 2.75 miles west on ranch road, 2.65 miles west on ranch road, 1.75 miles west on ranch road to windmill, 1.75 miles north-northwest on ranch road to water storage tank, 1.05 miles northwest and west on ranch road, 1,585 feet southeast in rangeland. Paradise Draw USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle.
Latitude: 29 degrees, 53 minutes, 9 seconds North; Longitude: 103 degrees, 45 minutes, 27 seconds West; NAD 1927.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July-September and December-February. Driest during May and June. The soil is moist for less than 90 cumulative days during the growing season in the control section. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 68 to 72 degrees F.

Depth to lithic contact: 4 to 20 inches

Clay content: 7 to 18 percent

Organic carbon content: less than 2 percent

Tuffaceous rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent

Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 percent

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, sandy loam, clay loam

BCk horizon (where present)
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 2 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, averages less than 18 percent clay

R layer
Unweathered conglomerate basalt or tuft bedrock

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bofecillos (TX), Sauceda (TX), Scotal (TX), and Beach series. Bofecillos, Sauceda, and Scotal soils contain more than 18 percent clay. Beach soils formed over sandstone.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Holguin soils are on hills. Slopes range from 1 to 20 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from conglomerate basalt and tuft within the Duff, pruett, Devils Graveyard, and Tascotal Formations. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches, with most occurring from July through September. Mean annual air temperature is 60 to 67 degrees F. Frost-free period is 210 to 250 days, and elevation is 3,340 to 5,000 feet.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Borunda, Gemelo, Reduff, and Scotal soils. Borunda soils are moderately deep to weathered tuff bedrock, have calcic and gypsic horizons, and contain less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. They are on erosional uplands and pediments. Gemelo soils are very deep, have cambic horizons, and contain less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. They are on alluvial fan aprons. Reduff soils are underlain by red tuff bedrock and are on erosional uplands and hills. Scotal soils are underlain by white colored tuff bedrock and are on erosional uplands and hills.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate in the surface and very slow in the conglomerate bedrock. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 1 percent, low on 1 to 5 percent slopes, medium on 5 to 8 percent slopes, and high on 8 to 20 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing. Woody species include creosotebush, whitethorn acacia, mesquite, mariola, range ratany, fourwing saltbush, cholla, and prickly pear. Grass species in the understory are black grama, bush muhly, sideoats grama, slim tridens, Arizona cottontop, blue grama, plains bristlegrass, and dropseeds.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West Texas and Southeastern Arizona. MLRAs 41 and 42. The soil is of minor extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brewster County, Texas, 1997

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 9 inches (A horizon). The horizon meets all requirements for a mollic epipedon except for days moist

Lithic contact - the boundary at 19 inches (R layer)

Ustic aridic feature - the soil is in the aridic moisture regime that borders the ustic moisture regime

Series does not have a consistent mappable cambic horizon as determined by field soil scientist. June 2008, LEL.

Superactive cation activity class: CEC to percent clay ratio is 0.60 or greater. This is assumed from the abundant zeolitic minerals in the Duff and Pruett Formations.

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

Update and revision for Recorrelation of Brewster County, Texas, Main Part, 2/7/08, CEM

Revised for the correlation of AZ661, 3/2009, PDC

Revised for the correlation of Graham County, AZ, Southwestern Part; March, 2011, WWJ

Updated the competing series section for the correlation of Hudspeth County, Texas (Main Part) and Culberson County, Texas (Main Part); July, 2012, NMS

Revised for the correlation of Presidio County, Texas ; Oct, 2012, WWJ

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL S95TX-43-030

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.