LOCATION SARITA TX

Established Series
CMT-RM-GWH
11/2013

SARITA SERIES

The Sarita series consists of very deep well drained, moderately permeable soils formed in eolian sands over loamy alluvium of Quaternary age. These soils occur on gently undulating, vegetated low dunes on the Sandsheet Prairie of the South Texas Coastal Plain. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 635 cm (25 in) and mean annual air temperature is 22.2 degrees C (72 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, hyperthermic Grossarenic Paleustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Sarita fine sand, 0 to 3 percent slopes in rangeland at an elevation of 70 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, very friable; common fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. Thickness is 5 to 56 cm (2 to 22 in)

E--20 to 122 cm (8 to 48 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose, very friable; few fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. Thickness is 61 to 155 cm (24 to 61 in)

2Bt1--122 to 132 cm (48 to 52 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine and medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redox concentrations; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; extremely hard, friable; few distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; common fine pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

2Bt2--132 to 147 cm (52 to 58 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist, many medium and coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and a few fine distinct red (2.5YR 4/6) redox concentrations; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; extremely hard, friable; common distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; few fine and medium pores; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 15 to 56 cm (6 to 22 in)

2Bt3--147 to 203 cm (58 to 80 in); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; very hard, friable; common faint clay films on vertical surfaces of peds; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Hidalgo County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 281 and Texas Highway 186 in Linn; 6.6 miles north on U.S. Highway 281 to ranch road; 1.4 miles east on ranch road, 100 feet south in rangeland. USGS topographic quadrangle: Linn NE, Texas; Latitude: 26 degrees, 38 minutes, 39 seconds N; Longitude: 98 degrees, 05 minutes, 26 seconds W; Datum: NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 90 but less than 180 cumulative days in normal years.
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in).
Depth to argillic horizon: 117 to 160 cm (46 to 63 in).

Particle-size control section (weighted average).
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.
CEC/clay ratio: 0.40 to 0.60.

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sand
Sand content: 91 to 96 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sand or loamy fine sand
Sand content: 91 to 96 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

2Bt horizons:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam, or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 11 to 27 percent, with the highest clay contents in the upper few inches of the 2Bt horizon and in a second maximum, or clay bulge expressed graphically, at depths of 60 to 80 inches
Clay films: few to common, faint or prominent on faces of peds, lining of pores, and bridging of sand grains
Redox concentrations: few to many; medium or coarse; distinct or prominent with hue of 10R, 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 4 to 8; and chroma of 2 to 8
Redox depletions: none to common; medium or coarse; faint to prominent; grayish depletions occur in some pedons
Visible calcium carbonate: 0 to 5 percent masses
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family. Similar soils include Bobillo (TX), Comitas (TX), Falfurrias (TX), Lopeno (TX), Nueces (TX), and Rhymes (TX) series.
Bobillo and Rhymes soils: have siliceous mineralogy.
Falfurrias soils: do not have an argillic horizon within 203 cm (80 inches).
Lopeno soils: have buried horizons and a seasonal water table within 102 cm (40 in) of the surface.
Nueces and Comitas soils: have surface layers of sand or loamy sand 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in) thick

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian sands over loamy alluvium of Quaternary age.
Landform: vegetated low dunes on sandsheet prairie.
Slopes: 0 to 5 percent.
Mean annual precipitation: 559 to 737 cm (22 to 29 in).
Precipitation pattern: moist spring and fall months and dry summer and winter months. June through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through May.
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 21 to 40
Mean annual air temperature: 21.1 to 23.3 degrees C (70 to 74 degrees F).
Frost-free period: 270 to 350 days.
Elevation: 9 to 145 m (30 to 475 ft).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Comitas, Delfina, Delmita, Falfurrias, Nueces, and Padrones series.
Comitas and Nueces soils: have surfaces 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in) thick and occur on slightly lower positions.
Delfina soils: have surfaces less than 51 cm (20 in) thick and occur on lower positions.
Delmita soils: are moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon.
Falfurrias soils: do not have a argillic horizon and occur on higher positions
Padrones soils: have a natric horizon and occur on similar to slightly lower positions

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; Permeability is moderate. Runoff is negligible.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for livestock grazing, forage production, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mostly midgrasses of fall witchgrass, plains bristlegrass, seacoast bluestem, hooded windmillgrass, fringeleaf paspalum, threeawn, grassbur; a scattering of mesquite trees and motts of liveoak occur on areas. A few areas are used for irrigated crop production with peanuts, vegetables, and watermelons. The ecological site is Sandy 25-35 PZ (R083EY706TX).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sandsheet Prairie, Texas; LRR I, MLRA 83E; of southern Texas. The series is of large extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Starr County, Texas; 1970.

REMARKS: This is a Benchmark Series.
These soils were formerly included in the Nueces series.
During the correlation of the Kenedy-Kleberg Soil Survey the A2 was changed to an E horizon based on color and pH.

Edited 11/2013 (RFG-GWH): adjusted the clay content and added LFS in the 2Bt horizon; updated the competing series, geographic setting, and associated soils sections.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 122 cm (0 to 48 in).
Grossarenic feature: 0 to 122 cm (0 to 48 in).
Argillic horizon: 122 to 203 cm (48 to 80 in).

ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory data on type location 76TX215002, 76TX013002, and 98TX131003. TAMU laboratory data available - S87TX261003.

Taxonomic version: Keys of Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.