LOCATION MONIA                   TX+NM

Tentative Series
TCB-AB-WJG
06/2020

MONIA SERIES

The Monia series consists of very deep, well drained, and moderately permeable soils. These soils formed in calcareous, sandy and loamy eolian deposits of Holocene age. Monia soils are on nearly level to gently sloping plains and interdunes with slopes ranging from 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 406 mm (16 in), and the mean annual air temperature is about 12 degrees C ( 54 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aridic Calciustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Monia loamy fine sand, south-facing slope, 1 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of about 1230 m (4035 ft). Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.

A--0 to 28 cm (0 to 11 in); dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) loamy fine sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (20 to 38 cm [8 to 15 in] thick)

Bk1--28 to 50 cm (11 to 20 in); brown (7.5YR 5/3), brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent carbonates, finely disseminated throughout; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

Bk2--50 to 100 cm (20 to 39 in); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 10 percent carbonate, finely disseminated throughout and 8 percent medium irregular carbonate masses throughout; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

Bk3--100 to 140 cm (39 to 55 in); brown (7.5YR 6/4), brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 10 percent carbonate, finely disseminated throughout and 12 percent medium irregular carbonate masses throughout; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

Bk4--140 to185cm (55 to 73 inches); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), moist; sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure, hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderate plastic; few fine roots; 10 percent carbonate, finely disseminated throughout and 22 percent medium irregular carbonate masses throughout; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (165 to 183 cm [64 to 72 in] thick)

2Bk5--185 to 203 centimeters (73 to 80 inches); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), moist; clay loam; weak, medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine roots; 10 percent carbonate, finely disseminated throughout and 12 percent medium irregular carbonate masses throughout, violent effervescence; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Hartley County, Texas; from Dalhart, Texas approximately 32 miles southwest on U.S. Highway 54, then north 4.6 miles on Ranch Road 3296, 0.5 miles east on private ranch road in range. Latitude: 35 degrees,78 minutes, 11 seconds N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 95minutes, 52 seconds W; Whiteaker Ranch, Texas USGS quad; WGS 84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 180 but less than 220 days, cumulative, in normal years. November through March are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in April through October.
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 15 degrees C (52 to 59 degrees F)
Depth to secondary carbonates: 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 in).
Depth to calcic horizon: 25 to 100 cm (10 to 40 in).
Particle-size control section: 10 to 18 percent silicate clay
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in).

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loamy fine sand
Coarse fragments: less than 5 percent calcium carbonate nodules by volume
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Upper Bk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 10 to 25 percent by volume as films, filaments, masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates.
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Lower Bk horizons:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 15 to 45 percent by volume as films, filaments, masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates.
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline

2Bk horizon:
Hue: 5 YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 5 to 35 percent by volume as films, filaments, masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates.
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline

Bkk horizon (where present):
Hue: 7.5YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8
Texture: sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 50 to 65 percent by volume as films, filaments, masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates.
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately to strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family. Similar soils include the Spurlock and Vingo series.
Spurlock soils are on similar landscape positions and have an argillic horizon.
Vingo soils are on similar landscape positions and have argillic horizons and do not have a calcic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy and loamy eolian deposits of Holocene age.
Landform: nearly level to gently sloping plains and interdunes.
Slopes: 0 to 5 percent.
Precipitation Pattern: Precipitation is typically uniform throughout most of the year with rainfall the highest from April through October. Average snowfall is about 18 inches annually from November through April.
Mean annual precipitation: 381 to 432 mm (15 to 17 in)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 22 to 28
Mean annual air temperature: 10 to 14 degrees C (50 to 58 degrees)
Frost-free period: 165 to 190 days
Elevation: 1158 to 1798 m (3,800 to 5,899 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the Corlena, Dallam, Karde, Nara, Perico, Rickmore, Spurlock, Valerian, Vingo, and Visa series.
Dallam, Perico, and Rickmore soils are on nearly level to gently sloping plains have a fine-loamy particle size control section.
Corlena soils are on narrow floodplains of draws have a fine-silty particle-size class.
Karde soils are on playa dunes and have carbonatic minerology.
Nara and Visa soils: are on interdunes and dunes and have argillic horizons and do not have a calcic horizon.
Spurlock soils are on similar landscape positions and have argillic horizons and carbonatic mineralogy.
Valerian soils: are on dunes and have a sandy particle size class.
Vingo soils are on similar landscape positions and have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained and moderately permeable. Surface runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes, very low on 1 to 3 percent slopes, and low on 3 to 15 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for livestock grazing. Climax vegetation is a Tall/Midgrass community. The major tallgrass species are sand bluestem and little bluestem. The midgrasses are sideoats grama, sand lovegrass, sand paspalum, fall witchgrass, hairy grama, blue grama, and dropseed, and perennial threeawns. Woody shrubs consist of yucca, skunkbush sumac, and sand sage, and the occasional sand plum thickets. This is a fragile site and is subject to severe wind erosion if not protected by cover. This soil has been correlated to the Sandy (R077BY658TX) ecological site in MLRA-77B, 12-17" PZ.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico
Land Resource Region: H - Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range Region
Major Land Resource Area: 77B - Southern High Plains, Northwestern Part
Extent: Minor

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

SERIES PROPOSED: MLRA 77B; Hartley County, Texas; 2020.

REMARKS: The Monia series was formerly included in the Spurlock series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 28 cm (0 to 11 in). (A horizon)
Calcic horizon: 28 to 203 cm (30 to 80 in). (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3, Bk4, Bk5 horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: P2018TX205029

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

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.