LOCATION MILLER             OK+AR LA TX
Established Series
Rev. CRC:CEW:CS
02/2003

MILLER SERIES


The Miller series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in material weathered from predominantly clayey alluvium of Pleistocene ages. These nearly level soils are on broad smooth flood plains in the Central Rolling Red Prairies (MLRA 80A). Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 31 inches. Mean annual temperature is 63 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Udertic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Miller clay--cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 7 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3), clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, many fine roots; few fine and medium pores; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)

A1--7 to 14 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine blocky structure; hard, firm; common fine roots; few fine and medium pores; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 22 inches thick)

Bw--14 to 35 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; shiny pressure faces on surfaces of peds; few medium slickensides; common vertical cracks filled with material from above; few fine soft masses and concretions of calcium carbonate; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 40 inches thick)

Ab--35 to 60 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; shiny faces on surfaces of some peds; few fine slickensides; few fine soft masses and concretions of calcium carbonate; calcareous; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Cotton County, Oklahoma; about 4 miles west of Cookietown; 400 feet north and 500 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 24, T. 3 S., R. 13 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Buried horizons are common but not diagnostic. Solum thickness is 30 to more than 60 inches. These soils are calcareous throughout the 10 to 40 inch control section and have soft powdery lime within 30 inches of the soil surface. Cracks more than 1 cm wide extend from the surface to depths of about 30 inches during some season in most years. The clay content of the control section ranges from 35 to 60 percent. Slickensides range from few to common.

The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is clay, silty clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam and is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

The Bw horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 6. It is clay, silty clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Clay content is 35 to 60 percent and COLE exceeds 0.07. This horizon is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

The Ab horizon has colors similar to the Bw horizon. It is silt loam through clay with a clay content of 25 to 50 percent and a reaction similar to the Bw horizon. Where the Ab or C horizon has less than 35 percent clay, it occurs at depths of 35 to 60 inches below the surface.

Where present, the C horizon is similar in color, and reaction to the Bw horizon. Texture includes clay, silty clay, clay loam, silty clay loam, and silt loam. It contains thin, dark or light colored strata of loamy and sandy material. Some pedons contain gypsum crystals.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Deleon series of the same family, and the Ashport, Frio, Krum, Mangum, Moreland, Nukrum, Port, Rioconcho, Roebuck, Spur, Trinity, and Volente series. Ashport, Port, and Spur soils have less than 35 percent clay in the textural control section and COLE less than 0.07. Frio and Volente soils have a COLE of less than 0.07, and are warmer. Mangum soils lack a mollic epipedon and are dryer. Moreland and Roebuck soils have a udic soil moisture regime and lack soft powdery lime within 30 inches of the soil surface. Nukrum soils are well drained, moderately permeable, and have a regular decrease in organic matter. Rioconcho soils are dry in the moisture control section for longer periods of time. Krum and Trinity soils are warmer and have smectitic mineralogy.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Miller soils are on nearly level flood plains. They are occasionally or frequently flooded for very brief to brief duration from March through October. Slopes are mainly 0 to 1 percent. They formed in predominantly clayey alluvium. The climate is dry or moist subhumid.
Average Annual Precipitation: 26 to 40 inches.
Mean Annual Temperature: 58 to 64 degrees F.
Thornthwaite Annual P-E indices: 44 to 64.
Frost free days: 200 to 230.
Elevation: 800 to 1300.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the similar Ashport, and Port series and the Gaddy, Pulaski, and Yahola series. All of these soils are usually are closer to the stream. Gaddy, Pulaski, and Yahola soils lack mollic epipedons. In addition, Gaddy, Pulaski, and Yahola soils have less than 18 percent clay in the textural control section. Ashport, and Port soils have less than 35 percent clay in the textural control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; very slow permeability; runoff is high.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are mainly cultivated. Wheat, grain sorghum, cotton, and alfalfa are the grasses with small percent of trees. The main trees are pecan and elm.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Rolling Red Prairies (MLRA 80A) of Central Oklahoma and north-central Texas. The series is moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Miller County, Arkansas; 1903.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 14 inches (A horizons).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 14 inches to a depth of 35 inches (Bw horizon).
Cracks within 125 cm of the mineral soil surface that are 5 mm or more wide through a thickness of 30 cm or more for some time in most years, and slickensides or wedge-shaped aggregates in a layer 15 cm or more thick that has its upper boundary within 125 cm of the mineral soil surface; or a liner extensibility of 6.0 cm or more between the mineral soil surface and a depth of 100 cm.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.