LOCATION NIMROD TX

Established Series
Rev. CLN-ACT-CMR
06/2020

NIMROD SERIES

The Nimrod series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in locally reworked eolian sands over residuum weathered from sandstone and siltstone. These nearly level to moderately sloping soils occur on interfluves and side slopes of low ridges on hills. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 800 mm (31 in) and the mean annual air temperature is about 17.6 degrees C (64 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Aquic Arenic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Nimrod fine sand, on a northeast-facing, linear, 1 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 424 m (1,391 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in); light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2), moist; structureless single grain; loose, very friable; neutral; abrupt irregular boundary. (Thickness is 0 to 30 cm [0 to 12 in].)

E1--10 to 38 cm (4 to 15 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3), moist; structureless single grain; loose, very friable; few organic stains on surfaces along pores; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

E2--38 to 69 cm (15 to 27 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3), moist; structureless single grain; loose, very friable; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness is 20 to 76 cm [8 to 30 in].)

Bt1--69 to 74 cm (27 to 29 in); variegated light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), moist; strong medium prismatic parts to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; few distinct clay films on vertical faces of peds and few gray (10YR 5/1) sand coats on all faces of peds; common medium light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions at top of horizon and many coarse distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron and many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.

Bt2--74 to 102 cm (29 to 40 in); variegated light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), moist; strong coarse prismatic parts to moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few distinct clay films on vertical faces of peds and few distinct gray (10YR 5/1) sand coats on all faces of peds; many coarse distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron and many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt3--102 to 135 cm (40 to 53 in); light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), moist; strong coarse prismatic parts to weak coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few distinct gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on vertical faces of peds and few distinct gray (10YR 5/1) sand coats on vertical faces of peds; few medium iron-manganese concretions and common coarse distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of oxidized iron and common coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron; few weakly cemented ironstone nodules; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt4--135 to 173 cm (53 to 68 in); light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), moist; strong coarse and very coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm; few distinct gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on vertical faces of peds and few distinct gray (10YR 5/1) sand coats on vertical faces of peds; few iron-manganese concretions and common coarse distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of oxidized iron and common coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron; few weakly cemented ironstone nodules; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (Combined thickness is 57 to 133 cm [22 to 52 in].)

BC--173 to 203 cm (68 to 80 in); variegated light gray (10YR 7/2) and red (2.5YR 5/6) loamy fine sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) and red (2.5YR 5/6), moist; weak coarse prismatic structure becomes more massive with depth; hard, friable; brittle; few very fine roots between peds; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness is 15 to 46 cm [6 to 18 in].)

Cd--203 to 234 cm (80 to 92 in); light gray (10YR 7/2) noncemented sandstone bedrock with texture of loamy fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), moist; common coarse prominent red (10R 4/6) lithochromic mottles; structureless massive; hard, friable; moderately acid; contains coarser grains than in horizon above and becomes more dense with depth.

TYPE LOCATION: Erath County, Texas; about 4.9 miles northwest of Stephenville; from the intersection of Texas Highway 108 and Farm to Market Road 8 in Stephenville, travel 0.6 miles north to the intersection of Texas Highway 108 and Farm to Market Road 2303, then travel 3.5 miles west on Farm Road 2303, then travel southwest 150 feet on private road; the site is located 225 feet southeast in rangeland.

USGS topographic quad: Huckabay, Texas
Latitude: 32 degrees, 16 minutes, 2 seconds N
Longitude: 98 degrees, 15 minutes, 40 seconds W

Decimal Degrees
Latitude: 32.2672234 degrees
Longitude: -98.2611084 degrees
Datum: WGS84

UTM Easting: 569589.92 m
UTM Northing: 3570295.58 m
UTM Zone: 14

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: aquic ustic soil moisture regime
Depth to densic bedrock: 165 to more than 200 cm (65 to more than 80 in)
Depth to abrupt textural change: 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in)
Depth to albic materials: 8 to 25 cm (3 to 10 in)
Depth to albic horizon: 8 to 25 cm (3 to 10 in)
Depth to argillic horizon: 50 to 100 cm (20 to 30 in)
Depth to redox concentrations: 50 to 75 cm (20 to 30 in)
Depth to redox depletions: 50 to 75 cm (20 to 30 in)
Depth to episaturation: 46 to 91 cm (18 to 36 in) from October to May
Thickness of the solum: 152 to 200 cm (60 to 80 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Sand content: 62 to 72 percent
CEC/clay ratio: 0.43 to 0.46

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sand or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Sand content: 85 to 95 percent
Pararock fragments: amount- 0 to 1 percent; size- 2 to 75 mm; kind- ironstone nodules
Base saturation: 47 to 85 percent
Reaction (pH): moderately acid to neutral (5.6 - 7.3)

E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: fine sand or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 0 to 12 percent
Sand content: 75 to 98 percent
Pararock fragments: amount- 0 to 1 percent; size- 2 to 75 mm; kind- ironstone nodules
Base saturation: 27 to 67 percent
Reaction (pH): moderately acid to neutral (5.6 - 7.3)

Bt or Btg horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 17 to 35 percent
Sand content: 62 to 72 percent
Redox concentrations: varied size and amount in shades of red and yellow
Redox depletions: varied size and amount in shades of gray and yellow
Pararock fragments: amount- 0 to 1 percent; size- 2 to 75 mm; kind- ironstone nodules
Base saturation: 61 to 83 percent
Reaction (pH): strongly acid to moderately acid (5.1 - 6.0)

BC horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 9 to 29 percent
Sand content: 52 to 87 percent
Redox concentrations: varied size and amount in shades of red and yellow
Redox depletions: varied size and amount in shades of gray and yellow
Pararock fragments: amount- 0 to 1 percent; size- 2 to 75 mm; kind- ironstone nodules
Base saturation: 69 to 88 percent
Reaction (pH): strongly acid to slightly acid (5.1 - 6.5)

Cd layer or C horizon (where present)
Hue: 10R to 10YR
Value: 3 to 8
Chroma: 1 to 8
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or loam
Clay content: 1 to 25 percent
Sand content: 45 to 95 percent
Base saturation: 69 to 100 percent
Reaction (pH): strongly acid to slightly alkaline (5.1 - 7.8)

COMPETING SERIES:
There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the Coving, Demona, Desan, Heaton, Nueces, Patilo, Robco, and Selden series.

Coving soils: have moderately acid to slightly alkaline (6.0 - 7.8) reaction (pH) in the upper part of the argillic horizon
Demona soils: have a clayey particle-size control section
Desan and Patilo soils: do not have an argillic horizon within 100 cm (40 in)
Heaton soils: do not have gleyed horizons or redox depletions with chroma 2 or less within 100 cm (40 in)
Nueces soils: have base saturation in the upper part of the argillic horizon of greater than 90 percent
Robco soils: have greater than 10 percent albic materials in the upper part of the argillic horizon
Selden soils: have an argillic horizon within 50 cm (20 in)

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: locally reworked eolian sands over residuum weathered from sandstone and siltstone
Landscape: hills
Landform: interfluves and side slopes of low ridges
Slope: 0 to 8 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 648 to 953 mm (26 to 38 in)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 26 to 48
Mean annual air temperature: 17.2 to 18.8 degrees C (63 to 66 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 217 to 243 days
Elevation: 200 to 628 m (656 to 2,060 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the Arenosa, Bunyan, Duffau, Hassee, Maloterre, Patilo, Selden, and Windthorst series.
Arenosa and Patilo soils: do not have argillic horizons within 100 cm (40 in) and occur on similar undulating sandy interfluves
Bunyan soils: do not have argillic horizons and occur on flood plains
Duffau and Windthorst soils: less than 50 cm (20 in) to argillic horizon and occur on crests and side slopes
Hassee and Selden soils: less than 50 cm (20 in) to argillic horizon and occur on base slopes, drainageways, and stream terraces
Maloterre soils: less than 50 cm (20 in) to limestone bedrock and occur on limestone ridges

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: moderately well
Permeability class: moderately slow
Runoff: very low on slopes less than 1 percent, low on 1 to 5 percent slopes, medium on 5 to 8 percent slopes
Seasonal water table: episaturation occurs between depths of 46 and 122 cm (1.5 to 4 ft) for short periods following heavy rainfall during the months of October to May in most years

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: livestock grazing, hay production, and wildlife habitat with a few areas cultivated to peanuts
Native vegetation: scrub forest of post oak and blackjack oak, and a heavy understory of greenbrier, little bluestem, and purpletop. In the past most of these soils were cleared and cultivated. Many have reverted to forest of post oak and blackjack oak.
Ecological site: Sandy 29-33" PZ (R084BY172TX)

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General location: north-central Texas
Land Resource Region: J-Southwestern Prairies Cotton and Forage
Major Land Resource Area: 84B-West Cross Timbers
Extent: extensive

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eastland County, Texas; 1917. The name "Nimrod" comes from a community in western Eastland County.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 69 to 119 cm (27 to 47 in) (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in) (A horizon)
Albic horizon: 10 to 69 cm (4 to 27 in) (E horizons)
Argillic horizon: 69 to 173 cm (27 to 68 in) (Bt horizons)
Redox concentrations: 69 to 203 cm (27 to 80 in) (Bt and BC horizons)
Redox depletions with chroma 2 or less: 69 to 74 cm (27 to 29 in) (Bt1 horizon)
Episaturation: 69 to 173 cm (27 to 69 in) (Bt horizons)
Abrupt textural change: 69 cm (27 in) (top of Bt horizons)
Albic materials: 10 to 69 cm (4 to 27 in) (E horizons)
Aquic conditions: 69 to 173 cm (27 to 69 in) (Bt horizons)

Additional comments: The subsoil is either gleyed (Btg horizons) or coarsely mottled with many prominent redox depletions with chroma 2 or less.

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by lab data: S1963TX143001 and S1963TX143002 from Erath County, Texas; S2019TX367009, S2019TX367010, and S2019TX367013 from Parker County, Texas.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
KSSL Data from the type location S1963TX143002 and S1963TX143001
Texas Highway Department Data from Comanche, Eastland, Erath, and Parker Counties, Texas

TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.