LOCATION MADRE TX
Established Series
DNB-JKW-RM
08/2025
MADRE SERIES
Depth class: Very deep
Drainage class: Poorly drained
Flooding frequency and duration: Occasional, brief
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: High to very high
Shrink-swell: Low
Parent materials: Sandy eolian and/or washover deposits of marine origin
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 22 degrees C (72 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 686 millimeters (27 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Siliceous, hyperthermic Sodic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Madre fine sand on a nearly level slope of a barrier island at an elevation of 1 meter. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
An1--0 to 10 centimeters; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; very friable and loose; 6 percent very fine and fine roots; 3 percent fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron lining pores; very slightly saline; sodium adsorption ratio is 16; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual smooth boundary.
An2--10 to 28 centimeters; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; very friable and loose; 4 percent very fine and fine roots; 6 percent fine and medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron lining pores; 2.5 centimeters thick strata of grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) at lower boundary; very slightly saline; sodium adsorption ratio is 16; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (An horizon is 13 to 46 centimeters thick)
Cng1--28 to 56 centimeters; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; very friable and loose; 4 percent very fine and fine roots; 4 percent fine and medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of oxidized iron lining pores; very slightly saline; sodium adsorption ratio is 14; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt smooth boundary.
Cng2--56 to 71 centimeters; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; single grain; loose; 3 percent very fine and fine roots; 5 percent medium faint gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions; very slightly saline; sodium adsorption ratio is 18; neutral (pH 7.1); clear smooth boundary.
Cng3--71 to 104 centimeters ; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; single grain; loose; 3 percent very fine and fine roots and 1 percent medium roots; 2 percent fine faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) masses of oxidized iron lining pores; 5 percent medium and coarse distinct gray (2.5Y 5/1) iron depletions; very slightly saline; sodium adsorption ratio is 17; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (Cng horizons are 69 to 170 centimeters thick)
Anb--104 to 117 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; single grain; loose; 2 percent very fine and fine roots; 5 percent medium and coarse faint gray (2.5Y 5/1) iron depletions; very slightly saline; sodium adsorption ratio is 16; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (Anb horizon is 0 to 46 centimeters thick)
C'ng1--117 to 135 centimeters; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) fine sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; single grain; loose; 1 percent very fine and fine roots; 5 percent medium and coarse faint dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) and 5 percent medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; very slightly saline; sodium adsorption ratio is 15; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
C'ng2--135 to 200 centimeters; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; single grain; loose; 1 percent very fine and fine roots; 5 percent medium and coarse faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; very slightly saline; sodium adsorption ratio is 11; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Kleberg County, Texas; approximately 673 meters (0.4 miles) west-northwest from the intersections of Park Road 22 and Bird Island Basin Road or approximately 1.42 kilometers (0.8 miles) east-southeast of the Bird Island Basin Boat Ramp; USGS quadrangle: South Bird Island, Texas
Latitude: 27.4667778
Longitude: -97.2967758
Datum: WGS84
Coordinate source: From hand-held GPS
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: Greater than 200 centimeters
Moisture regime: Aquic
Depth to redoximorphic features: 0 to 200 centimeters
Reaction throughout: Neutral to strongly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 9.0)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content-0 to 5 percent
Sand content-95 to 99 percent
The particle-size control section has less than 5 percent silt plus clay.
An horizon:
Hue-10YR
Value-4 to 6
Chroma-2 or 3
Texture-fine sand
Electrical conductivity (dS/cm)-0 to 4
Sodium adsorption ratio-5 to 20
Cng horizon:
Hue-10YR to 5Y or neutral
Value-4 to 6
Chroma-0 to 2
Texture-fine sand
Electrical conductivity (dS/cm)-2 to 8
Sodium adsorption ratio-13 to 40
Anb horizon (where present):
Hue-10YR, 2.5Y, 5GY or 5B
Value-3 or 4
Chroma-1
Texture-fine sand
Electrical conductivity (dS/cm)-2 to 8
Sodium adsorption ratio-13 to 40
C'ng horizon (where present):
Hue-10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y or 5GY
Value-4 or 5
Chroma-1 or 2
Texture-fine sand
Electrical conductivity (dS/cm)-2 to 8
Sodium adsorption ratio-13 to 40
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Dianola,
Satatton and
Tatton soils.
Dianola soils: have more than 5 percent silt plus clay within the control section.
Satatton and
Tatton soils: have a sodium adsorption ratio greater than 40, electrical conductivity values of more than 30 and are frequently or very frequently tide flooded
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Sandy eolian and/or washover deposits of marine origin
Landsacpe: Barrier islands
Landform: Low dunes, barrier flats, washover fans, and interdunes
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 609 to 1194 millimeters (24 to 47 inches)
Mean annual air temperature: 20 to 23 degrees C (68 to 73 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 315 to 365 days
Elevation: 0 to 2 meters (0 to 5 feet)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the
Daggerhill,
Greenhill,
Malaquite,
Mustang,
Novillo,
Padre, and
Panam series.
Daggerhill soils: are on slightly higher landforms with steeper slopes and have seashell fragments.
Greenhill soils: are slightly higher on the landscape with steeper slopes and have much brighter colors.
Malaquite soils: have a sodium adsorption ratio greater than 30 and salic horizons.
Mustang soils: are not sodic, have a sodium adsorption ratio less than 13, and are on similar landscape positions.
Novillo soils: are slightly lower on the landscape, have a sodium adsorption ratio of less than 13, and are in fresh-water marshes.
Padre and
Panam soils: are on slightly higher landscapes on low mounds or stabilized dunes and have lower sodium adsorption ratios.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Poorly drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: High to very high
Flooding frequency and duration: Occasional, brief
Seasonal water table: Often at or immediately below the surface horizon
Shrink-swell: Low
Surface runoff: Negligible
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Recreation and wildlife habitat
Vegetation: Salt tolerate plants such as marsh hay cordgrass, seashore dropseed, seashore Saltgrass, salt flat grass and star-topped sedge
Ecological site: R150BY715TX-Firm Brackish Marsh
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General Area: Along the coast of Texas on barrier islands
Land Resource Region: T-Atlantic and Gulf Coast Lowland Forest and Crop Region
MLRA(s): 150B-Gulf Coast Saline Prairies
Extent: Moderate
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Special Projects Office
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kleberg County, Texas, 2007
REMARKS:
The name is from Laguna Madre, which is between Padre Island and the mainland of south Texas. The series was formerly included in the Mustang series and are separated based on the difference in the sodium adsorption ratio of the soils.
Typical pedon taxonomic features:
Aquic conditions: 28 to 200 centimeters
Endosaturation: 28 to 200 centimeters (Cng, Anb, and Cngb horizons)
Redox concentrations: 0 to 200 centimeters
Redox depletions or depleted matrix: 28 to 200 centimeters (Cng, Anb, and Cngb horizons)
Sodic features (SAR more than 13): 0 to 200
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 28 centimeters (An horizons)
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 13th edition (2022)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Particle-size analysis on five pedons and salinity and sodicity tests on six pedons performed at the soil survey project office.
OSD User Pedon ID: 2002TX273004
________________________________________
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.