LOCATION SARAGOSA TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, gypsic, thermic Gypsic Aquisalids
TYPICAL PEDON: Saragosa clay loam on a smooth nearly level area of less than 0.5 percent, in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Anz--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak platy to weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; ECe is 227 dS/m; SAR is 90.3; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (1/8 to 11 inches thick)
C1nyz--4 to 8 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gypsiferous material of about silt loam texture, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; ECe is 127 dS/m; SAR is 102.3; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline, gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
C2nyz--8 to 17 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gypsiferous material of about silt loam texture, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; ECe is 70 dS/m; SAR is 58.9; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
C3nyz--17 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) weakly cemented gypsiferous material; massive; plates of brittle salt precipitate, probably gypsum, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and 1 to 6 inches across the long axis; ECe is 27 dS/m; SAR is 4.5; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Reeves County, Texas; 0.3 mile south on U. S. 285 from the intersection of IH 20 and 285, 0.45 mile west on paved road, 1.15 miles south on paved road and 250 feet east in rangeland.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Soil moisture control section is always moist, but is more than 15 bars most of the time. Typic aridic moisture regime.
Thickness of the solum to gypsiferous material is - 1/8 inch to 11 inches.
Depth to the water table ranges from - 24 to 50 inches during the year, being shallower during the fall, winter, and early spring.
Soil salinity above the water table ranges from - 32 to about 240 dS/m.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: silt loam, loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam.
SAR: ranges from 75 to 120 percent.
Cnyz horizons
Hue: 10YR
Value: 7 or 8
Chroma: 2 to 4
Salinity: ranges from 32 to 140 dS/m in the upper part and 8 to 32 dS/m in the lower part
SAR: ranges from 50 to 120 percent in the upper part and 4 to 15 percent in the lower part
Apparent texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Gypsum: thin, weakly cemented plates of gypsum and gypsum crystals are in the lower part.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Saragosa soils are on nearly level areas near intermittent salt lakes. Slopes are mainly less than 1 percent. They formed in gypsum beds which were precipitated from fluctuating saline water tables. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 inches, mean annual air temperature ranges from 63 to 67 degrees F. Frost free season ranges from 210 to 240 days, and elevation ranges from 2,500 to 4,000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Orla and Reeves series, and the Hoban and Monahans series. Hoban and Monahans soils do not have a salic horizon and have mixed mineralogy, and in addition, Hoban soils have a calcic horizon and Monahans soils are in the coarse-loamy family. All of these soils are on slightly higher positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Permeability is moderately slow. Runoff is negligible.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland, housing, and commercial buildings. Vegetation is dominantly pickleweed with scattered plants of fourwing saltbush, mesquite, and alkali sacaton.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Near intermittent salt lakes in the Trans-Pecos Area of Texas, and possibly southern New Mexico. The series is of small extent. MLRA 42.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Reeves County, Texas; 1976.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 4 inches. (Anz horizon)
Salic horizon - 4 to 17 inches (Cnyz horizons)
Gypsic horizon - 4 to 60 inches (Cnyz horizons)
Aquic feature - Saturated with water within 40 inches of the surface for one month or more in 6 out of 10 years.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Primary data source from a Masters Degree thesis, The Effect of Salinity on Creosotebush Distribution in West Texas, by William T. Sexton, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, May, 1975. This data is from a pedon near the type location for this series. Profile number 4300 in the thesis. In addition, S78TX-389-003 and S78TX-389-004 from Lincoln gypsic soils study.
Soil Interpretation Record: TX0714
Soil Taxonomy: Ninth Edition 2003