LOCATION LYFORD TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, hyperthermic Aquic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Lyford sandy clay loam--cultivated.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy
clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular
and subangular blocky structure; massive, very hard; friable; few fine pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches
thick)
A1--8 to 11 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
B21t--11 to 17 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy
clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown mottles; moderate fine and medium blocky structure; very hard, friable; patchy clay films on faces of peds; few fine pores; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
B22t--17 to 25 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy
clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine faint yellowish brown mottles; moderate fine and medium blocky
structure; very hard, friable; patchy clay films on faces of peds; few fine pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
B3--25 to 34 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy
clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; many films and threads of
secondary carbonates; few fine calcium carbonate concretions; moderately alkaline; calcareous; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)
Cca--34 to 63 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable; 5 percent by
volume soft bodies of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; calcareous.
TYPE LOCATION: Cameron County, Texas; 1.7 miles west of the intersection of Farm Road 106 and Texas Highway 345, 0.3 mile
south and 0.1 mile on county road and 100 feet north.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum thickness ranges from 28 to
50 inches. Secondary carbonates occur at depths of 20 to 36
inches. Salinity ranges from 0.1 to 4.0 mmhos/cm and increases
with depth.
The A and B21t horizons are dark grayish brown to gray or very
dark grayish brown in a hue of 10YR, with values of 3 and 4 and chromas of 1 or 2. The B21t horizon has few to common, faint to distinct grayish and brownish mottles. The A horizon is sandy
clay loam or loam and is neutral or mildly alkaline.
The B22t and B3 horizons are grayish brown or light gray to light yellowish brown in hues of 7.5YR and 10YR, with values of 5 or 6
and chromas of 2 through 4. The Bt horizon is sandy clay loam or clay loam wih a clay content of 25 to 35 percent and is neutral through moderately alkaline.
The C horizon is brownish to grayish in hues of 7.5YR to 10YR,
with values of 6 or 7 and chromas of 2 through 4.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the
Delfina,
Lozano,
Selden, and
Vashti series. Delfina soils have secondary lime occurring below depths of 34 inches. Lozano soils have moderate prismatic
structure in the Bt horizon. Selden and Vashti soils have mean annual soil temperatures less than 72 degrees F. at 20 inch
depths.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lyford soils occupy nearly level deltaic or coastal terraces with plane to concave surfaces and gradients less than 1 percent. The soil formed in loamy alluvium or eolian
deposits several feet thick. Climate is dry subhumid; the mean annual precipitation ranges from 24 to 28 inches; mean annual temperatures range from 72 degrees to 74 degrees F.; and the Thornthwaite P-E indices range from 30 to 36.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing
Delfina and
Lozano series and the
Racombes,
Raymondville,
Rio,
Tiocano, and
Willacy series. Racombes and Willacy soils have
mollic epipedons and secondary lime occurs below 36 inches. Raymondville soils are calcareous throughout and lack an argillic horizon. Rio soils have a mollic epipedon, and more than 35
percent clay in the argillic horizon. Tiocano soils have intersecting slickensides and occur in depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability. A seasonal water table occurs at depths of
3 to 5 feet during the spring and fall seasons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for dry and irrigated cropland and
range. Crops are mostly cotton, grain sorghum, and winter vegetables. Vegetation on rangeland consists of a thick overstory
of mesquite, retama, and other thorny shrubs, and grasses
consisting of trichloris, lovegrass tridens, plains bristlegrass, hooded windmillgrass, and Arizona cottontop.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Occurs mainly within 30 miles of the
coast in the lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, and probably
in Mexico. Series is moderately extensive, comprising an
estimated 25 thousand acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cameron County, Texas; 1970.
REMARKS: This soil would have been classified in the Reddish Chestnut great soil group.