LOCATION SALGA TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, thermic Calcic Paleustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Salga clay loam--rangeland.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay
loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; many fine roots;
common fine and very fine pores; common wormcasts; few
termite tunnels; few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; calcareous, moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (5
to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark
brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular
and moderate fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm;
many fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; common
wormcasts; common termite tunnels; thin patchy clay films on
faces of peds; few films and threads of calcium carbonate;
few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; calcareous,
moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 10
inches thick)
Bt2--16 to 25 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay
loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and
medium subangular and moderate fine angular blocky
structure; very hard, firm; common fine roots; common fine
and very fine pores; common wormcasts; few termite tunnels;
thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; common films and
threads of calcium carbonate; few fine concretions of
calcium carbonate; calcareous, moderately alkaline; clear
wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
Btk1--25 to 55 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) clay
loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular
blocky structure; hard, firm; few fine roots; few wormcasts;
patchy clay films on faces of peds; estimated 60 percent
calcium carbonate equivalent; many fine concretions of
calcium carbonate; many soft medium bodies of calcium
carbonate; calcareous, moderately alkaline; diffuse wavy
boundary. (20 to 35 inches thick)
Btk2--55 to 84 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) clay
loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular
blocky structure; hard, firm; thin patchy clay films on
faces of peds; estimated 35 percent calcium carbonate
equivalent common fine concretions of calcium carbonate;
many medium soft bodies of calcium carbonate; calcareous,
moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: McCulloch County, Texas; about 18 miles west
and 6 miles north of Brady; 1 mile south and 0.55 mile east
of Salt Gap; 40 feet north of unpaved county road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of solum ranges from 60
to more than 80 inches. The soil is moderately alkaline and calcareous in all horizons. Distinct calcic horizons are at
depths of 22 to 30 inches.
The A horizon is dark brown to very dark grayish brown in
hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 or 3.
It is clay loam or silty clay loam.
The Bt1 horizon has the same range in color as the A
horizon. The Bt2 horizon is reddish brown or brown in hue
or 5YR or 7.5YR, value or 4 or 5 and chroma of 4. It is
clay loam or clay. Clay content ranges from 35 to 45
percent. The Bt horizon contains 6 to 14 percent more clay
than the A horizon.
The Btk horizon is reddish yellow or yellowish red in hue of
5YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 6. It contains
40 to 70 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the upper
part and 20 to 40 percent in the lower part.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the
Abilene,
Bukreek,
Estacado,
Hollister, LaCasa,
Mansker,
Nuvalde,
Olton,
Sagerton, and
Tillman series. Abilene and Hollister soils
have a mollic epipedon thicker than 20 inches. Bukreek,
Estacado, and Mansker soils have less than 35 percent clay
in the Bt horizon. LaCasa soils have sola thinner than 60
inches. Nuvalde soils lack an argillic horizon. Olton
soils are dry for longer periods of time. Sagerton and
Tillman soils are not calcareous throughout the upper Bt
horizons and lack distinct calcic horizons above 30 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Salga soils are on uplands and ancient
stream terraces. Slopes are mainly less than 1 percent, but
range up to 3 percent. The soil formed in calcareous clayey sediments. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 22 to
28 inches; the mean annual air temperature ranges from 63
degrees to 70 degrees F., and the annual Thornthwaite P-E
indices are 34 to 44.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the
competing
Abilene,
Bukreek,
Nuvalde, and
Sagerton series,
these are the
Mereta and
Rowena series. Mereta soils have petrocalcic horizons and are slightly higher in the
landscape. Rowena soils have cracks 1 to 3 cm wide at 20
inches when dry and are slightly lower in the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium
runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for cropland and
rangeland. Most cultivated areas are in cotton, grain
sorghum, and wheat. Present native grasses are mainly hairy
grama, buffalograss and sideoats grama. Mesquite trees are
the dominant woody species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Rolling Plains and Edwards
Plateau of Texas and possibly Oklahoma. The series is
moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McCulloch County, Texas; 1970.
REMARKS: Salga soils would have been classified in the
Calcisol great soil group. Apparently, these soils
developed an argillic horizon under an earlier climatic age
and have since been recalcified. They were formerly
included in the Nuvalde series. Diagnostic horizons and
features recognized in this pedon are: Mollic epipedon - 0
to 16 inches, Argillic horizon - 6 to 84 inches, Calcic
horizon - 25 to 84 inches.