LOCATION NORIA TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, hyperthermic Sodic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Noria fine sand--in an area of Potrero-Lopeno-Noria complex, 0 to 5 percent slopes, on a slightly concave, 0.5 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 5.8 meters (19 ft). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Anz--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in); olive gray (5Y 5/2) fine sand, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) dry; single grain; loose, very friable; 7 percent fine and medium roots; 2 percent very fine and fine pores; 10 percent medium faint light gray (2.5Y 7/1) sand coats; 5 percent fine faint olive (5Y 5/4) masses of iron accumulations with sharp boundaries lining pores; 2 percent fine and medium fragments of land crab remains; strongly saline; SAR is about 60; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (The thickness of the Anz horizon is 8 to 33 cm [3 to 13 in].)
Cnzg1--8 to 18 cm (3 to 7 in); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; single grain; loose, very friable; 5 percent fine roots; 3 percent very fine and fine pores; 2 percent fine distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and 10 percent fine and medium distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) masses of iron accumulations with sharp boundaries lining pores; 1 percent fine and medium iron-manganese masses; faint thin bedding planes; 1 percent medium salt crystals; slightly saline; SAR is about 28; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Cnzg2--18 to 53 cm (7 to 21 in); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; single grain; loose, very friable; 5 percent very fine and fine roots; 3 percent very fine and fine pores; 5 percent fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) masses of iron accumulations with sharp boundaries lining pores; 4 percent fine and medium iron-manganese masses; faint thin bedding planes; slightly saline; SAR is about 32; very slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Cnzg3--53 to 84 cm (21 to 33 in); light olive gray (5Y 6/2) fine sand, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; single grain; loose, very friable; 3 percent very fine and fine roots; 3 percent very fine and fine pores; 5 percent fine and medium faint light greenish gray (10GY 7/1) iron depletions with clear boundaries in the matrix; 3 percent fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) masses of iron accumulations with sharp boundaries lining pores; 2 percent fine and medium iron-manganese masses; 2 percent fine and medium fragments of land crab remains; faint thin bedding planes; slightly saline; SAR is about 45; very slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Cnzg4--84 to 99 cm (33 to 39 in); greenish gray (10GY 5/1) fine sand, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; single grain; loose, very friable; 3 percent very fine and fine roots; 5 percent very fine and fine pores; 20 percent medium faint greenish gray (5GY 6/1) and 2 percent fine distinct bluish gray (5B 5/1) iron depletions with diffuse boundaries in the matrix; 3 percent fine and medium distinct olive (5Y 5/4) masses of iron accumulations with sharp boundaries lining pores; faint thin bedding planes; moderately saline; SAR is about 44; very slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Cnzg horizons is 38 to 91 cm [15 to 36 in].)
Bnzgb1--99 to 152 cm (39 to 60 in); light olive gray (5Y 6/2) loamy fine sand, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable; 2 percent very fine and fine roots; 3 percent very fine and fine pores; 10 percent fine and medium faint light greenish gray (10GY 7/1) and 4 percent medium faint greenish gray (10GY 5/1) iron depletions with diffuse boundaries in the matrix; 5 percent fine distinct pale olive (5Y 6/4) masses of iron accumulations with sharp boundaries lining pores; moderately saline; SAR is about 42; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bnzgb horizons is 104 to 147 cm [41 to 58 in].)
Bnzgb2--152 to 203 cm (60 to 80 in); light gray (5Y 7/2) loamy fine sand, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable; 3 percent very fine and fine pores; 3 percent fine and medium faint light greenish gray (5GY 7/1) iron depletions with diffuse boundaries in the matrix; moderately saline; SAR is about 31; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Kenedy County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and La Parra Avenue in Sarita; 4.8 miles south on U.S. Highway 77; 7.6 miles east on ranch road; 2 miles southeast and south on ranch road; 4,100 feet west southwest in a deflation flat in rangeland. La Parra Ranch Southwest, Texas USGS topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 27 degrees, 07 minutes, 17.6 seconds N.; Longitude: 97 degrees, 40 minutes 27.5 seconds W.; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An aquic soil moisture regime. Although rainfall amounts are that of an ustic moisture regime, the soil has a permanent water table at depths of 0 to 31 cm (0 to 12 in) in most years, from September through May, and has a water table within 102 cm (40 in) throughout the year in most years. These soils are saturated or ponded for periods of several days to several weeks following heavy rains.
Mean annual soil temperature: 23 to 24 degrees C (74 to 76 degrees F)
Depth to masses of iron accumulations: 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in)
Depth to iron depletions or depleted matrix: 0 to 76 cm (0 to 30 in)
Depth to endosaturation: 0 to 31 cm (0 to 12 in), in most years from September through May, and within 102 cm (40 in) in most years throughout the year.
Anz horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 or 5, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy fine sand or fine sand
Redox accumulations: amount-0 to 7 percent, size-fine or medium, contrast-faint or distinct, boundaries-clear or sharp.
Redox depletions: amount-0 to 2 percent, size-fine or medium, contrast-faint or distinct, boundaries-diffuse or clear.
EC (dS/m): 8 to 20
SAR: 13 to 80
Reaction: neutral to strongly alkaline
Cnzg horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 (3 chroma are inherent due to source material of the eolian sands)
Texture: loamy fine sand or fine sand
Redox Accumulations: amount-0 to 12 percent, size-fine or medium, contrast-faint or distinct, boundaries-clear or sharp.
Redox depletions: amount-0 to 20 percent, size-fine or medium, contrast-faint or distinct, boundaries-diffuse or clear.
EC (dS/m): 2 to 20
SAR: 13 to 50
Reaction: neutral to very strongly alkaline
Bngzb horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, 5GY or 5G
Value: 5 to 7, 6 to 8 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam
Redox accumulations: amount-0 to 10 percent, size-fine or medium, contrast-faint or distinct, boundaries-diffuse or sharp.
Redox depletions: amount-0 to 15 percent, size-fine or medium, contrast-faint or distinct, boundaries-diffuse or clear.
EC (dS/m): 4 to 16
SAR: 10 to 40
Reaction: neutral to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Madre (TX),
Satatton (TX), and
Tatton (TX) series in the same family. Similar soils include
Mustang (TX),
Potrero (TX),
Saucel (TX),
Sauz (TX), and the
Topo (TX) series.
Madre soils: have siliceous mineralogy and a buried soil at 102 to 203 cm (40 to 80 in).
Mustang soils: have SAR values less than 13.
Satatton and Tatton soils: have EC and SAR values more than 30 and siliceous mineralogy.
Saucel and Topo soils: have a salic horizon.
Sauz soils: have a natric horizon.
Potrero soils: have an SAR value less than 13.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian sands of Holocene age overlying loamy eolian deposits of Pleistocene age.
Landform: dune slack on deflation flats associated with an active or recently active banner dune complex.
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 22 to 23 C (72 to 74 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 635 to 711 mm (25 to 28 in)
Precipitation Pattern: November through April are the driest months, with a second dry period in July. September is the wettest month.
Frost-free period: 310 to 350 days
Elevation: 2 to 9 meters (5 to 30 ft)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 31 to 36
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Arenisco,
Lopeno,
Potrero,
Saucel,
Sauz, and the
Topo series.
Arenisco soils: have a water table between 102 to 203 cm (40 and 80 in) and are on a higher landform on lag dune ridges bordering the active or recently active dune complex.
Lopeno soils: are saturated within 102 cm (40 in) of the surface for 30 or more days in normal years and are on low dunes within the deflation flat.
Potrero soils: have SAR values less than 13 and are on a slightly higher landform on interdunal flats.
Saucel and Topo soils: have a salic horizon and are on a lower landform in blowouts and troughs between dunes.
Sauz soils: have a natric horizon and occur on lower convex to linear landforms.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Very slow permeability. Runoff is high. The soil is ponded or has a water table at depths of 0 to 31 cm (0 to 12 in) in most years from September to May.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists mostly of whitetop starrush, olney bulrush, common spikesedge, dwarf spikesedge and Jamaica sawgrass. The ecological site is Salt Marsh, PE 31-44, (150BY652TX).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Saline Prairies (MLRA 150B in LRR T) of the coastal areas of southern Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kenedy County, Texas, 2007. The name is from a well in Kenedy County.
REMARKS: The series was formerly included in the Mustang series. The series was separated based on the presence of a buried soil. Classification change from Aquic Arenic Paleustalfs to Sodic Psammaquents 10/2005 based on typifying pedon and supporting documentation.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon- 0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in). (Anz)
Aquic feature- Saturated with water and reducing conditions within 30 cm (12 in) of the surface for one month or more in 6 to 10 years.
Redox Accumulations: 0 to 203 cm (0 to 80 in). (Anz, Cnzg1, Cnzg2, Bnzgb1, Bnzgb2, Bnzgb3, and Bnzgb4 horizons)
Redox depletions or depleted matrix: 0 to 203 cm (0 to 80 in). (Anz, Cnzg1, Cnzg2, Bnzgb1, Bnzgb2, Bnzgb3, and Bnzgb4 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: TAMU data from type location in Kenedy County, TX (S00TX-261-001).
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006