LOCATION ROCHELLE TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Rochelle fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky and medium granular structure; hard, friable; many fine roots; few pebbles of quartz; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 13 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; very hard, friable; common fine roots; many fine pores; 10 percent quartz pebbles; thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--13 to 32 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; very hard, firm; few fine roots and pores; 30 percent quartz pebbles; few cobbles; thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)
2CBk1--32 to 48 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, pink (5YR 7/4) moist; single grain; loose; 80 percent rounded quartz pebbles; calcium carbonate pendants 1/4 inch thick are on the underside of some pebbles; calcareous, moderately alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
2CBk2--48 to 60 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) extremely gravelly coarse sand, pink (5YR 7/4) moist; single grain; loose; 70 percent rounded quartz pebbles; 15 percent shale fragments, few masses of calcium carbonate 1/4 to 3/4 inch diameter; calcium carbonate pendants on underside of pebbles; few strata 2 to 4 inches thick of fine gravel and coarse sand; calcareous, moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: McCulloch County, Texas; from Lohn, Texas, 6.9 miles north on Ranch Road 2635 to the intersection of two county roads; then east 0.8 mile to a ranch gate; then 270 feet east of the gate and 660 feet north in rangeland.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 30 to 48 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates ranges from 21 to 35 inches. Reaction is neutral to slightly alkaline in the A and Bt horizons.
The A horizon has a hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is fine sandy loam or loam with clay content ranging from 10 to 24 percent.
The Bt1 horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam. Coarse fragments range from 5 to 30 percent. Exclusive of coarse fragments, it is sandy clay loam or fine sandy loam.
The lower Bt horizons have hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam or sandy clay. Clay content ranges from 25 to 40 percent but averages 25 to 35 percent in the upper 20 inches of the argillic. Coarse fragments range from 15 to 35 percent.
The 2CBk horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 5 to 8 and chroma of 2 to 8. Exclusive of coarse fragments texture is stratified coarse sand to sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 5 to 20 percent. Coarse fragments range from 60 to 85 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobble.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cobb (TX), Grandfield (OK), Grandmore (OK), Honeycreek (TX), Hye (TX), Lou (TX), McKnight (TX), and Menard (TX) series. Similar soils are the Bronte, Callahan, Hilgrave, and Minwells series. Cobb soils have a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches. Grandfield and Grandmore soils do not have gravel within 80 inches. Honeycreek soils have a lithic contact 40 to 60 inches deep. Hye and Lou soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic and paralithic contact respectively. McKnight soils are 40 to 60 inches to shale and do not have a gravelly substratum. Menard soils contain less than 15 percent coarse fragments in the Bt horizon and are not underlain by gravel within 80 inches. Bronte and Callahan soils have more than 35 percent clay in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon. Hilgrave soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments within the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon. Minwells soils have fine textured control sections.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rochelle soils are on nearly level to gently sloping uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent but are dominantly less than 3 percent. The soil formed in loamy materials over gravel beds that are apparently ancient stream deposits. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 24 to 28 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 63 to 67 degrees F. Frost free days range from 220 to 240 days, and elevation ranges from 1,250 to 2,000 feet. Thornthwaite annual P-E index ranges from 36 to 46.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Miles and Pedernales series. Miles soils have sola thicker than 60 inches. Pedernales soils have more than 35 percent clay in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately slow. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 1 percent, very low on 1 to 3 percent slopes, and low on 3 to 5 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for range and cropland. Many areas are mined for the gravel. Crops grown are grain sorghums and small grain. Native vegetation includes little bluestem, sideoats grama, Texas wintergrass, threeawns, and woody shrubs such as mesquite.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Rolling Limestone Prairie and North Central Prairie of Texas. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McCulloch County, Texas; 1968.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - 5 to 32 inches. (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - 32 to 60 inches. (2CBk1 and 2CBk2 horizons)