LOCATION JARRON TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, hyperthermic Typic Natraqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Jarron sandy clay loam--range.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise
stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy clay loam, very
dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky
structure; very hard, friable; many fine roots; neutral; abrupt
wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
E--7 to 8 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR
5/1) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown mottles; massive;
hard, friable; common fine roots; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary.
(1 to 3 inches thick)
Btnzg--8 to 18 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay, dark gray
(10YR 4/1) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to
weak coarse blocky; very hard, firm; few fine roots; clay films
on faces of peds; saline; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (8
to 14 inches thick)
Btknzg--18 to 26 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay, dark
gray (10YR 4/1) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium blocky; very hard, firm; few fine calcium carbonate concretions; mildly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
Bknz--26 to 36 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam,
dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular
blocky structure; hard, firm; few fine Fe-Mn bodies; many fine
and medium soft bodies and concretions of calcium carbonate;
saline; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
(8 to 14 inches thick)
Cknz--36 to 65 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam,
pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; hard, firm; many fine and medium soft bodies and concretions of calcium carbonate; saline; calcareous; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Willacy County, Texas; approximately 2 1/2 miles south of Willamar on Farm Market Road 1420 to the La Jarita
ranch; one mile east on county road; then 0.2 mile north and 0.3
mile west on oil field road and 100 feet south of road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 30 to 44 inches. Sodium saturation is more than 15 percent in the Bt
horizon and increases with depth. Depth to secondary
accumulations of calcium carbonate is 12 to 24 inches.
The A horizon is gray (10YR 5/1), dark gray (10YR 4/1), grayish
brown (10YR 5/2), or dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay
loam or fine sandy loam. The E horizon is light gray (10YR 7/1, 7/2), gray (10YR 5/1, 6/1), or light brownish gray (10YR 6/2)
sandy clay loam or fine sandy loam. The A and E horizons are slightly acid or neutral. Salinity ranges from 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
The Bt horizon is gray (10YR 5/1) or dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy
clay, clay, or clay loam. Clay content ranges from 35 to 50
percent. It is slightly acid through moderately alkaline.
Salinity ranges from 4 to 12 mmhos/cm. The Bk horizon is grayish brown (10YR 5/2; 2.5Y 5/2), olive gray (5Y 5/2), or brown (10YR
5/3) clay loam, sandy clay, or clay. It is moderately alkaline
or strongly alkaline. Salinity ranges from 8 to 16 mmhos/cm.
The C horizon is very pale brown (10YR 7/3), pale brown (10YR
6/3), or light gray (5Y 6/1; 2.5Y 7/1, 7/2) sandy clay loam, clay loam, or clay. Salinity ranges from 10 to 30 mmhos/cm.
COMPETING SERIES:
Matagorda series is the only competing series. Similar soils are
Aransas,
Edroy,
Incell,
Rio, and
Tiocano
series. Matagorda soils are less saline, lack pending and have a different and more productive native plant community. Aransas, Edroy, Incell, and Tiocano soils lack an argillic horizon. In addition, Incell is in a fine-loamy family and Tiocano soils have vertic properties. Rio soils have less than 15 percent
exchangeable sodium in the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Jarron soils occur in slight depressions of
the lower deltaic coastal prairies. Soil surfaces are plane or concave and have less than 1 percent gradients. The soil formed
in clayey and loamy material. Mean annual rainfall ranges from
20 to 36 inches and the mean annual temperature is 71 to 72
degrees F. Thronthwaite annual P-E indices range from 31 to 44.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Lozano,
Lyford,
Porfirio,
Racombes,
Raymondville, and
Willamar series. All these soils occur at slightly higher elevations. Lozano, Lyford, and Racombes soils are in a fine-loamy family and lack 15 percent exchangeable sodium in the Bt horizon. Raymondville and Porfirio soils are calcareous and lack Bt horizons. Willamar soils are in
a fine-loamy family.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; ponded; slow permeability. These soils are saturated in the upper part or
covered with water a few days or weeks during the spring and fall seasons of the year.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for improved pasture or rangeland. A few areas are cultivated to cotton and grain
sorghums. Common vegetation consists of huisache, common
bermuda, gulf cordgrass, marshhay cordgrass, hartweg paspalum,
and spike dropseed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly, the coastal areas of South
Texas. Series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Willacy County, Texas; 1980.
REMARKS: The epipedon is massive and hard or very hard when it
is dry. If a subgroup was available, this series would have a taxonomic class of fine, mixed, hyperthermic Mollic Natraqualfs.