LOCATION ORIF TX
Established Series
Rev. JWS-ALN-CLG-WJG
10/2016
ORIF SERIES
The Orif series consists of very deep, well drained, rapidly permeable soils that formed in calcareous stratified sandy and gravelly alluvium derived from limestone. The soils occur in nearly level to very gently sloping flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 787 mm (31 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 20.0 degrees C (68 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, carbonatic, thermic Typic Ustifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Orif fine sandy loam--rangeland.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 30 cm (0 to 12 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine roots; few root channels; 2 percent water-rounded limestone pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. Thickness is 15 to 46 cm (6 to 18 in).
2C1--30 to 102 cm (12 to 40 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; single grain; loose, soft; few roots; 85 percent water-rounded limestone pebbles and few cobbles; few very thin strata of sandy loam; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. Thickness is 51 to 305 cm (20 to 120 in).
3C2--102 to 203 (40 to 80 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) coarse sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; single grain; loose, soft; few roots; 2 percent water-rounded limestone pebbles and cobbles; few very thin strata of sandy loam; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Uvalde County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 90 and Farm Road 187 in Sabinal, TX, about 2.4 miles north on Farm Road 187; about 0.6 miles west on road in rangeland.
USGS topographic quadrangle: Sabinal, Texas;
Latitude: 29 degrees, 21 minutes, 11.46 seconds N;
Longitude: 99 degrees, 28 minutes, 45.9 seconds W;
Datum: WGS84.
UTM Easting 453464.18 m, UTM Northing 3247211.84 m, UTM Zone 14.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: more than 150 cm (60 in)
Surface fragments: 2 to 30 percent, rounded, gravels or cobbles of limestone
Calcium carbonate equivalent (less than 20 mm fraction): 40 to 90 percent by weight
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Sand content: 75 to 98 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 90 percent
A Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, loamy fine sand and gravelly counterparts
Clay content: 2 to 16 percent
Rock fragments: 2 to 35 percent; gravel; rounded; limestone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 30 to 90 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 1
Effervescence: violently
Reaction (pH): moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)
C Horizons
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy sand or sand and gravelly to extremely gravelly counterparts being stratified with fine sandy loam, loam, loamy fine sand and gravelly counterparts with some strata being fragmental below 76 cm (30 in)
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 2 to 90 percent; gravel, cobbles, or stones; rounded; limestone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 95 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 1
Effervescence: violently
Reaction (pH): moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)
Ab and Bwb horizons can occur below 61 cm (24 in).
COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family. Similar soils are
Dev,
Gaddy,
Sayers, and
Yahola series.
Dev soils: have a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section and have mollic epipedons
Gaddy and
Sayers soils: have less than 35 percent coarse fragments and is moist longer during the growing season
Yahola soils: have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section and is moist longer during the growing season
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous stratified sandy and gravelly alluvium derived from limestone
Landscape: River valley on dissected plateaus
Landform: floodplains of high-gradient streams that drain areas of Glen Rose limestone; Periodic catastrophic floods deposit most of the coarse fragments which are mainly of limestone, and smaller floods deposit a large part of the soil fines.
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 635 to 940 mm (25 to 37 in)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 30 to 50
Mean annual air temperature: 17.8 to 21.1 degrees C (64 to 70 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 215 to 270 days
Elevation: 152.4 to 640.1 m (500 to 2100 ft)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar
Dev series and
Atco,
Castroville,
Conalb,
Knippa,
Montell,
Oakalla,
Olmos,
Sabenyo,
Uvalde, and
Valco series.
Atco,
Castroville,
Sabenyo, and
Uvalde soils: occur on terraces and have less than 35 percent coarse fragments
Conalb soils: occur in floodplains and have less than 35 percent coarse fragments
Knippa and
Montell soils: occur on terraces, have less than 35 percent coarse fragments, and have more than 35 percent clay in control section
Oakalla soils: occur on similar to higher floodplains, have less than 35 percent fragments, and have a mollic epipedon
Olmos soils: occur slightly higher in the landscape on footslopes and are shallow to a petrocalcic horizon
Valco soisl: occur higher in the landscape on old terraces or outwash plains and are shallow to a petrocalcic horizon
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 1 percent and very low on slopes from 1 to 3 percent. Permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for native range and as a gravel and sand source. Native grasses commonly consist of hooded windmillgrass, fall witchgrass, Hall's panicum, threeawn grass, grassbur, sideoats grama, Texas tridens, and bristlegrass. Woody plants are liveoak, Texas persimmon, Texas colubrina, catclaw, mesquite, whitebrush, and agarita. A few pecan and hackberry trees occur. A number of gravel and sand pits are in areas of this soil.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and eastern Edwards Plateau and northern Rio Grande Plain. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uvalde County, Texas; 1970.
REMARKS:
Edited 10/2016 (RFG-THW): Changed to tabular format. Added metric measurements. Updated competing series, geographic setting, and associated soils sections.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 30 cm (0 to 12 in) (A horizon)
Skeletal feature - greater than 35 percent by volume coarse fragments in the control section.
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.