LOCATION RICKMORE                TX+NM OK

Established Series
Rev. ERB-JCW-RM
03/2016

RICKMORE SERIES

The Rickmore series consists of deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils formed in loamy calcareous material of eolian origin. These soils are on nearly level and gently sloping uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 406 mm (16 in) and the mean annual air temperature is 13 degrees C (55 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Paleustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Rickmore fine sandy loam--cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (Thickness is 10 to 25 cm [4 to 10 in])

BA--20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in); brown (10YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky; few fine roots; few fine and medium pores; common wormcasts; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness is 0 to 18 cm [0 to 7 in])

2Bt1--30 to 81 cm (12 to 32 in); brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky; few fine roots and pores; few wormcasts; thin patchy clay films; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 64 cm [10 to 25 in] thick)

2Bt2--81 to 97 cm (32 to 38 in); brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky; few fine roots and pores; few wormcasts; thin patchy clay films; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness is 35 to 129 cm [14 to 51 in])

2Btk1--97 to 152 cm (38 to 60 in); brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky; few fine roots and pores; thin patchy clay films; estimated 5 percent accumulations of carbonate in soft powdery bodies and threads; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness is 25 to 61 cm [10 to 24 in])

2Btk2--152 to 229 cm (60 to 90 in); reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) clay loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky; thin patchy clay films; estimated 25 percent accumulations of carbonate in soft powdery bodies; calcareous; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Dallam County, Texas; From the intersection of U.S. highway 54 and Farm Road 807 in Conlen; travel south 5 miles on Farm Road 807, 100 ft east of road in field; Latitude: 36 degrees, 09 minutes, 31.8 seconds N.; Longitude: 102 degrees, 14 minutes, 24.9 seconds W; Conlen, Texas USGS quad; NAD 83.

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. July through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through June.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C (54 to 57 degrees F)
Depth to secondary carbonates: 51 to 91 cm (20 to 36 in)
Depth to calcic horizon: 76 to 152 cm (30 to 60 in)
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in)
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent silicate clay.

A horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

BA horizons:
Hue: 7.5 or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

2Bt horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay loam, clay
Visible calcium carbonates: less than 2 percent by volume in the form of films and filaments
Effervescence: none or very slight
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

2Btk horizons:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 6 or 7, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: clay loam
Coarse fragments: 2 to 12 percent by volume of strongly cemented calcium carbonate nodules
Visible calcium carbonates: 10 to 50 percent by volume in the form of films, filaments and masses
Calcium carbonate by weight: 3 to 40 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dallam, Perico, and Predawn series. Similar soils are the Acuff, Dalhart, Dumas, Gruver and Sunray series.
Dallam soils: have Bt horizons with less than 30 percent clay
Perico soils: are calcareous throughout.
Predawn soils: have an abrupt clay increase of 15 percent or more in the upper argillic horizon.
Acuff soils: have mollic epipedons and mean annual soil temperatures greater than 59 degrees F.
Dalhart soils: have argillic horizons with less than 30 percent clay.
Dumas, Gruver, and Sunray soils: have mollic epipedons; in addition, Gruver soils have more than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous loamy eolian deposits from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: nearly level to gently sloping plains.
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C (52 to 57 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 381 to 432 mm (15 to 17 in)
Frost-free period: 165 to 185 days.
Elevation: 792 to 1,707 m (2,600 to 5,100 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 24 to 33.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dallam, Gruver, and Perico series as well as the Conlen and Sherm series.
Conlen soils: have higher percentages of calcium carbonate with carbonates occurring higher in the profle.
Dallam, Gruver and Perico soils: are on similar landscape positions.
Sherm soils: have greater than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderately slow permeability. Surface runoff is very low on 0 to 1 percent slopes and low on 1 to 3 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for cropland but also used as native rangeland and wildlife habitat. Principal crops are grain sorghum and wheat. Native vegetation is blue grama, buffalograss, sideoats grama, vine mesquite, sand dropseed, and sand sagebrush. This soil has been correlated to the Sandy Loam (R077BY021TX) and the Sandy (R077BY658TX) ecological sites in MLRA-77B.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North of the Canadian River in Northwest Texas, adjoining areas in New Mexico and Oklahoma. The series is moderately extensive

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dallam County, Texas; 1970.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Richfield series. They were classified in the Chestnut great soil group.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 30 cm (0 to 12 in) (A and AB horizons)
Lithologic discontinuity: from 30 to 229 cm (12 to 90 in) (2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Btk1 and 2Btk2 horizons
Argillic horizon: 30 to 229 cm (12 to 90 in) (Bt1, Bt2, Btk1and Btk2horizons)
Secondary carbonates: 96 to 229 cm (12 to 90 in) (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons)
Calcic horizon: 152 to 229 cm (60 to 90 in) (Btk2 horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lincoln Laboratory data available for 3 pedons; Sample Nos. 73L526-73L530; 73L535-73L541; 73L547-73L554.

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

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.