LOCATION ORELIA TX
Established Series
Rev. JKW-JAG-KBH
05/2014
ORELIA SERIES
The Orelia series consists of very deep, well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in loamy fluviomarine deposits of Pleistocene age. These nearly level soils are on flats on coast plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 21 degrees C (71 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 737 mm (29 in).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Orelia fine sandy loam--in pastureland; elevation of 54.9 m (180 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 26 cm (0 to 10 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable; common fine roots and common very fine roots; common fine tubular and common very fine tubular pores; 1 percent fine faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries lining pores; slightly acid; very abrupt smooth boundary. (Thickness of the A horizon is 18 to 28 cm [7 to 11 in])
Bt1--26 to 39 cm (10 to 15 in); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, firm; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on all faces of peds; few cracks 1 to 3 mm in width; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--39 to 56 cm (15 to 22 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, firm; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent distinct pressure faces; 15 percent distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on all faces of peds; few cracks 3 to 7 mm in width; 1 percent fine faint spherical black (10YR 2/1) nodules of iron-manganese with sharp boundaries in matrix; 1 percent fine faint brown (10YR 4/3) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries on faces of peds; 1 percent fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries on faces of peds; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--56 to 76 cm (22 to 30 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; very hard, firm; common very fine roots in cracks; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent prominent pressure faces; 20 percent distinct grayish brown (10YR5/2) clay films on vertical faces of peds; few cracks 3 to 7 mm in width; few cracks filled with very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy clay loam; 1 percent fine distinct spherical black (10YR 2/1) nodules of iron-manganese with sharp boundaries in matrix; 1 percent fine distinct dark yellowish brown(10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries in matrix; 2 percent medium faint brown (10YR 4/3) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 56 to 81 cm [22 to 32 in])
Btk1--76 to 109 cm (30 to 43 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and 50 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2)sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and 50 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, firm; common very fine roots in cracks; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent prominent pressure faces; 10 percent distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on vertical faces of peds; few cracks 1 to 3 mm in width; few cracks filled with very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam; 2 percent fine and medium faint brown (10YR 4/3) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 1 percent fine white (2.5Y 8/1) nodules of calcium carbonate; 10 percent medium and coarse white (2.5Y 8/1) masses of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Btk2--109 to 146 cm (43 to 57 in); brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organo-argillans on vertical faces of peds; 30 percent distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on vertical faces of peds; 2 percent fine white (2.5Y 8/1) nodules of calcium carbonate; 35 percent medium and coarse white (2.5Y 8/1) masses of calcium carbonate; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Btk3--146 to 192 cm (57 to 75 in); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; common very fine roots; 15 percent distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay films on vertical faces of peds; 5 percent fine white (2.5Y 8/1) nodules of calcium carbonate; 25 percent medium and coarse white (2.5Y 8/1) masses of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizons is 52 to 90 cm [21 to 36 in])
Btk4--192 to 203 cm (75 to 80 in); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) sandy clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few very fine roots; 5 percent distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay films on vertical faces of peds; 5 percent fine white (2.5Y 8/1) nodules of calcium carbonate; 20 percent medium and coarse white (2.5Y 8/1) masses of calcium carbonate; 3 percent medium very dark gray (10YR 3/1) insect casts; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Bee County, Texas; from the intersection of FM 202 and CR 425 at Chase Field State Prison near Beeville; 300 ft southwest in pasture. Latitude: 28 degrees, 22 minutes, 48.5 seconds N; Longitude: 97 degrees, 39 minutes, 13.0 seconds W. Beeville East USGS topographic quadrangle; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in). These soils remain dry in the soil moisture control section for more than 90 cumulative days. The dry period occurs from January to April and in July to August.
Mean annual soil temperature: 22.2 to 23.4 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F)
Depth to argillic horizon: 8 to 30 cm (3 to 12 in)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 46 to 86 cm (18 to 34 in)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 25 to 33 percent
CEC/clay ratio: 0.6 to 0.75
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 6 to 23 percent
Electrical Conductivity (dS/m): 0 to 1
Sodium Absorption Ratio: 0 to 4
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
Bt horizon (upper part)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam or sandy clay
Clay content: 25 to 37 percent
Redox accumulations: amount- 0 to 2 percent, color-shades of brown
Electrical Conductivity (dS/m): 0.2 to 2
Sodium Absorption Ratio: 0 to 6
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
Bt horizon (lower part)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 33 percent
Redox accumulations: amount-0 to 2 percent, color- shades of brown
Electrical Conductivity (dS/m): 0.2 to 2
Sodium Absorption Ratio: 1 to 12
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Btk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 33 percent
Redox accumulations: amount-0 to 2 percent, color- shades of brown
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-2 to 8 percent, kind-nodules or masses
Electrical Conductivity (dS/m): 1 to 4
Sodium Absorption Ratio: 6 to 14
Effervescence: very slight to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Alet,
Colmena,
Pernitas,
Pharr,
Runge,
Weesatche, and
Whitsett series in the same family.
Alet soils: are rarely to occasionally flooded
Colmena soils: are well drained
Pernitas and
Pharr soils: are calcareous throughout
Runge and
Weesatche soils: have a color redder than 10YR in the argillic horizon
Whitsett soils: have paralithic materials within 100 cm (40 in) of the soil surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: loamy fluviomarine deposits of Pleistocene age
Landscape: coastal plain
Landform: flats
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 838 to 9914 mm (33 to 39 in)
Mean annual air temperature: 20.6 to 22.8 degrees C (69 to 73 degrees F)
Precipitation pattern: The majority of rainfall occurs from May to October. The driest period is from November to April.
Frost-free period: 280 to 305 days
Elevation: 30.5 to 76 m (100 to 250 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 32 to 46
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Clareville,
Edroy,
Greta,
Papalote,
Vidauri, and Wyickseries.
Clareville soils: have a clayey subsoil and are on along drainageways
Edroy soils: are clayey and in enclosed depressions
Greta and
Wyick soils: have an ochric epipedon and are on a similar landform
Papalote soils: have an ochric epipedon and are on footslopes of hills
Vidauri soils: have an ochric epipedon and are in undefined drainageways
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is slow. Runoff is low on slopes less than 1 percent and high on 1 to 3 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: The dominant land use is crop production, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Crops grown include cotton, grain sorghum, and corn with a few areas used for vegetables. Some areas are used for livestock grazing. Native vegetation consists of curlymesquite, feather bluestem, fourflower, trichloris, grassbur, threeawn, mesquite trees, blackbrush, spiny hackberry, pricklypear, and tasajillo. (Ecological site name: Loamy Prairie 28-40" PZ; Ecological site number: R150AY535TX)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Prairies (MLRA 150A in LRR T) on the coastal plain of southern Texas. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Frio County, Texas; 1929.
REMARKS: Classification changed from Typic Ochraqualfs to Aquic Haplustalfs 11/2000 based on typifying pedon description. The series type location was moved and series concept revised after study and transects during the update of MLRA 150A in 2007. Randomly placed transects and pedon descriptions indicated that theses soils are predominantly mollisols and not alfisols. Also, in the past, these soils were considered to have a hard and massive surface which caused this soil to fail the mollic epipedon requirement. Laboratory data confirmed these soils have a mollic epipedon.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: 26 to 76 cm (10 to 30 in). (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 39 cm (0 to 15 in). (A and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon: 26 to 203 cm (10 to 80 in). (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Btk1, Btk2, Btk3, and Btk4 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data on pedon number S05TX-355-001 from an Orelia sample taken from Nueces County, Texas. Additional laboratory data available from sample S06TX-025-001 in Bee County.
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.