LOCATION HOULA TX

Established Series
CLG-CKH
05/2013

HOULA SERIES

The Houla series consists of very deep, well drained soils. These nearly level to gently sloping soils formed in loamy, calcareous, tuffaceous sediments of the Catahoula Formation. These soils are on broad flats and footslopes on erosion remnants. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 23 degrees C (73 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 635 mm (25 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Aridic Calciustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Houla clay loam, on a west facing, 1 percent slope in rangeland; elevation is 174 meters (570 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 in); brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; few fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; few broken snail shell fragments; few insect tunnels; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (thickness of the A horizon is 15 to 28 cm [6 to in])

Bk1--18 to 41 cm (7 to 16 in); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; few broken snail shell fragments; few insect tunnels; 11 percent calcium clacium carbonate equivalent; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; diffuse smooth boundary.

Bk2--41 to 81 cm (16 to 32 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; common fine and very fine pores; 5 percent fine films and threads of calcium carbonate; 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; diffuse smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 56 to 155 cm [22 to 61 in])

BCk--81 to 130 cm (32 to 51 in); very pale brown (10YR 8/4) loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; common fine and very fine pores; 10 percent fine films and threads of calcium carbonate; 24 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violent effervescence; slightly alkaline; diffuse smooth boundary. (thickness of the BCk horizon is 33 to 56 cm [13 to 22in])

Ck--130 to 165 cm (51 to 65 in); very pale brown (10YR 8/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; structureless; very hard, firm; common fine and very fine pores; about 3 percent by volume films and threads of calcium carbonate; 11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Duval County, Texas; From the intersection of U.S. 59 and Texas 44 east of Freer, 200 feet north on U. S. 59, then 100 feet east in rangeland. Freer North, Texas USGS topographic quadrangle; Latitude, 27 degrees, 53 minutes, 2 seconds N; Longitude 98 degrees, 35 minutes, 40 seconds W.; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An aridic ustic moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is moist in some or all parts for less than 90 consecutive days in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 21 to 23 degrees C (70 to 73 degrees F)

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent (carbonate clay-free basis)

A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 39 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 15 percent
EC (dS/cm): 0 to 2
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 2
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 8
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay
Clay content: 25 to 41 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 30 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 5 to 25 percent, fine and medium, masses and nodules
EC (dS/cm): 0 to 2
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

BCk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 8
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, silty clay loam
Clay content: 13 to 29 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 30 percent
EC (dS/cm): 0 to 2
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5
Effervescence: strong to violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Ck horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 6 to 8
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam
Clay content: 7 to 23 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 25 percent
EC (dS/cm): 2 to 10
Sodium adsorption ratio: 2 to 12
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: The competing series are Benavides (TX) and Leoncita (TX). Similar soils include the Elindio (TX), Engle (TX), and Gertrudis (TX) series.
Benavides soils: have fine sandy loam surface textures
Elindio soils: have a fine-silty particle size class
Engle soils: are in a thermic temperature regime
Gertrudis soils: are in the Typic moisture regime
Leoncita soils: are derived from Quaternary aged alluvium; have fine sandy loam surface textures

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy, calcareous, tuffaceous sediments of the Catahoula Formation
Landform: side/base slopes and footslope positions on erosional remnants of dissected, inland coastal plains
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Mean annual air temperature range: 21 to 23 degrees C (70 to 73 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation range: 560 to 660 mm (22 to 26 in)
Precipitation pattern: June to August and December to February are the driest months, while September to November and March to May are the wettest months.
Frost-free period: 265 to 301 days
Elevation: 92 to 214 m (400 to 800 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 19 to 31

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Lomart, Mirasol, Salco, and Tela series.
Lomart soils: are on higher positions and are moderately deep to sandstone
Mirasol soils: are on summit positions on interfluves and have loamy-skeletal
particle-size control sections
Salco soils: are in similar positions and have argillic horizons
Tela soils: are in drainageways and have argillic horizons
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is very low.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used primarily for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation in excellent condition is composed of 90 percent grasses, 5 percent woody plants and 5 percent forbs. In excellent condition mid grasses such as plains bristlegrass, hooded windmillgrass, pink pappusgrass, Arizona cottontop and twoflower and fourflower trichloris dominate. Woody plants include mesquite, condalia, paloverde, desert yaupon, guajillo, and Texas kidneywood. Major forbs include bundleflower, bushsunflower, orange zexmenia and gaura.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Rio Grande Plain, Texas; LRR I; MLRA 83C; moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Duval County, Texas; 1980. The name is coined from Catahoula
geologic formation.

REMARKS:
Updated textures and clay contents. 3/27/2013 RFG

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 25 to 100 cm (10 to 40 in). (A2 and Bk horizons)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 41 cm (0 to 16 in). (A horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 41 to 130 cm (16 to 51 in). (Bk and BCk horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory Data from Duval County, Texas
(78TX131001), and particle-size analysis was performed at the local project
office for two pedons from Duval County and two pedons from McMullen County.

TAXONOMIC VERSION- Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.