LOCATION MINWELLS                TX

Established Series
Rev. CLN-RMR-RM
08/2017

MINWELLS SERIES

The Minwells series consists of very deep to gravelly loamy alluvium. These well drained soils formed in ancient alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. These gently sloping soils are on high stream terraces of the Brazos River and other major streams. Slope is dominantly less than 3 percent but ranges from 1 to 5 percent along narrow drainageways. Mean annual precipitation is about 836.7 mm (32.9 in) and the mean annual air temperature is about 18.8 degrees C (65.8 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, thermic Udic Paleustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Minwells fine sandy loam--in pastureland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in); light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; many fine roots; few medium rounded siliceous pebbles; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 38 cm [4 to 15 in] thick)

Bt1--15 to 43 cm (6 to 17 in); reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure, parting to strong medium and coarse blocky; very hard, firm; common fine roots; few fine pores; continuous thin clay films on faces of prisms; few medium rounded siliceous pebbles and few medium angular sandstone pebbles; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 38 cm [6 to 15 in] thick)

Bt2--43 to 79 cm (17 to 31 in); red (2.5YR 4/6) clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist ped interiors, with dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) coatings on the faces of peds; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong coarse blocky; very hard, firm; common fine roots and few medium roots that are concentrated mainly along the faces of prisms; few fine pores; common rounded and angular siliceous pebbles and fragments of chert up to 20 mm in diameter; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 51 cm [10 to 20 in] thick)

Bt3--79 to 117 cm (31 to 46 in); red (2.5YR 5/6) clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist, red interiors with dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) coatings on the faces of peds; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, firm; few fine roots that are mainly along the faces of prisms; few fine pores; few rounded and angular siliceous pebbles and few fragments of sandstone up to 20 mm; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 51 cm [0 to 20 in] thick)

Bk1--117 to 145 cm (46 to 57 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist with red (2.5YR 4/6) coatings on exteriors of the peds; weak fine subangular blocky structure; few fine roots along the faces of prisms; few medium and coarse pores, common fine pores; few medium rounded siliceous pebbles; common threads, films and soft bodies of calcium carbonate on faces of the prisms; weak effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (25 to 51 cm [10 to 20 in] thick)

Bk2--145 to 180 cm (57 to 71 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; few fine roots; few fine tubes and pores; the upper part contains an estimated 30 percent rounded siliceous pebbles and angular sandstone, limestone, and chert fragments up to 3 cm (1 in) in diameter, the lower part contains approximately 50 percent by volume of pebbles; moderately alkaline; strong effervescence; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 76 cm [0 to 30 in] thick)

2Ck1--180 to 203 cm (71 to 80 in); red (2.5YR 5/8) very gravelly sand, red (2.5YR 4/8) moist; massive; hard, friable; few fine roots in upper part; estimated 60 percent rounded siliceous pebbles and angular limestone and chert fragments from 2 to 102 mm (4 in) in diameter; the underside of the larger coarse fragments contain pendants and coatings of calcium carbonate; lower 8 cm (3 in) of the horizon is partially cemented together with calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; strong effervescence; clear wavy boundary. (23 to 76 cm [9 to 30 in] thick)

2Ck2--203 to 224 cm (80 to 88 in); reddish yellow (5YR 7/6) very gravelly sand, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) moist; massive to single grained; loose; estimated 60 percent fragments of limestone, sandstone and rounded siliceous pebbles; the underside of the larger fragments are coated with calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; strong effervescence.

TYPE LOCATION: Palo Pinto County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 281 and U.S. Highway 180 in Mineral Wells, Texas; 4.7 miles west on U.S. Highway 180 to the Brazos River Bridge; 0.7 miles west on U.S. Highway 180; 600 ft south in pasture and on south side of gravel pit.
USGS Topographic Quadrangle: Mineral Wells West, TX.
Latitude 32 degrees, 47 minutes, 34.7 seconds N;
Longitude 98 degrees, 11 minutes, 54.6 seconds W.
Datum: WGS84

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Solum depth: from 152 to 203 cm (60 to 80 in)
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for 90 or more cumulative days and moist, in some part, either for more than 180 cumulative days per year, or for 90 or more consecutive days in normal years.
Soil temperature: 15 to 22 degrees C (59 to 72 degrees F)
Thickness of ochric epipedon: 10 to 38 cm (4 to 15 in)
Thickness of argillic horizon: 40 to 140 cm (15.7 to 55 in)
Other features: Depth to beds of gravel or gravel and sand range from about 1.2 to 2.1 m (4 to 7 ft)

Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: amount-0 to 10 percent; kind-quartzite; shape-nonflat; size-gravels

A horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Fragments: amount- 0 to 10 percent; size-gravels; kind-quartzite; shape-nonflat
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline.

Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5, dry or moist
Chroma: 4 to 8, dry or moist
Texture: clay, sandy clay, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Fragments: amount- 0 to 10 percent; size-gravels; kind-quartzite; shape-nonflat
Reaction: medium acid to slightly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons have few to common mottles of these colors or in other shades of brown or yellow

BCk or BC horizon
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Chroma: 4 to 8, dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Fragments: amount-0 to 15 percent (upper part) and 2 to 50 percent (lower part) ; size-gravels and some cobbles less than 15 cm (6 in) across (upper part) and cobbles and some gravels (lower part); kind-quartzite and sandstone or limestone (upper part) and quartzite (lower part); shape-flat (sandstone and limestone in upper part) and nonflat (quartzite in upper and lower parts)
Identifiable secondary carbonates: amount- 2 to 20 percent, size-fine or medium, kind-carbonate masses. Masses on some pedons are present in the form of coatings on the coarse fragments.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Other features: Some pedons have brownish or yellowish mottles. Most pedons are calcareous in some part. Some pedons do not have visible secondary carbonates in this horizon.

2Ck horizon
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 7, dry or moist
Chroma: 4 to 8, dry or moist
Texture: sand to sandy clay loam and is gravelly or very gravelly or grades to beds of gravel, or beds of gravel and sand
Fragments: amount-15 to 95 percent; size-gravels and cobbles; kind-quartzite and sandstone or limestone. Cobbles of sandstone, quartz or limestone range from 0 to 2 percent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are Callisburg, Chigley, Cona, Edge, Margie, Shiro, Truce, and Windthorst series and the closely similar Bastsil, Bastrop, Hamby, Pedernales, Rosanky, Voca, Weswind, and Travis series.
Callisburg, Cona, Edge, Hamby, Margie, Pedernales, Truce, Weswind and Windthorst soils: lack Bt horizons having as much as 10 percent coarse fragments.
Chigley soils: are gravelly and have a lithic contact of conglomerate below a depth of 152 cm (60 in).
Shiro soils: are moderately deep over sandstone and mudstone.
Bastsil and Bastrop soils: have fine-loamy control sections.
Rosanky and Travis soils: are members of an ultic subgroup.
Voca soils: formed in alluvium and residuum from grus and granite of pre-Cambrian age.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey and loamy sediments formed in ancient alluvium derived from sandstone and shale that is stratified with gravelly sandy clay loam and sand
Landscape: River Valleys
Landform: convex gently sloping ancient terraces of the Brazos River and other major streams
Slope: dominantly 1 to 3 percent, but range up to 5 percent along narrow drainageways
Mean annual air temperature: 17.8 to 20.7 degrees C (64 to 69.3 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 660 to 948 mm (26 to 37.3 in)
Frost-free period: 218 to 266 days
Elevation: 109.5 to 396.2 m (359.3 to 1300 ft)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 36 to 64

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Apalo, Bastsil, Bastrop, Bonti, Bosque, Decordova, Doss, Exray, Frio, Lindy, Paluxy, Real, and Yahola soils.
Apalo and Paluxy soils: lack argillic horizons and are below on lower terrace levels.
Bastsil and Bastrop soils: are fine-loamy and are similar positions.
Bonti, Doss, Exray, Lindy, and Real soils: which are less than 102 cm (40 in) deep to a lithic or paralithic contact.
Bosque, Frio, and Yahola soils: are below on flood plains. These are calcareous loamy and clayey soils.
Decordova soils: are coarse-loamy and are slightly lower positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Well;
Permeability class: Slow.
Runoff: high on slopes 1 to 5 percent.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland, but a few areas are cropped to small grain, forage sorghum, and peanuts. Native vegetation is a post oak savannah that includes scattered elm, post oak, and blackjack oak trees. A few scattered live oak are on some areas. Native grasses are little bluestem, sideoats grama, big bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, Texas wintergrass, and annual grasses and weeds. Some areas are being mined for gravel.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This soil occurs primarily in the GrandPrairies (MLRA 85), North Central Texas Prairies (MLRA 80B), and the Texas Blackland Prairies, Northern Part (MLRA 86). The series is moderate in extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bosque County, Texas; 1977.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Travis series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in) (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon: 15 to 117 cm (6 to 46 in)
Secondary carbonates: 117 to 224 cm (46 to 88 in)
Paleustalf feature: an abrupt textural change occurs at 15 cm (6 in) depth between the Ap and the Bt1 horizons.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lincoln Laboratory Data, 574TX-363-1 (74L1214-74L1221).

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.