LOCATION SAUZ TX

Established Series
JKW-NIH-RM
03/2016

SAUZ SERIES

The Sauz series consists of very deep; poorly drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in loamy eolian deposits derived from Holocene age sediments. These nearly level to very gently sloping soils are on coastal plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 23 degrees C (73 degrees F) and mean annual precipitation is about 686 mm (27 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, hyperthermic Typic Natraqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Sauz loamy fine sand--in rangeland on a slope of less than 1 percent at an elevation of 2.1 meters (7 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many fine roots; many fine pores; very slightly saline; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 36 cm [3 to 14 in] thick.)

Btnz1--18 to 33 cm (7 to 13 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown mottles inside peds; strong coarse columnar structure parting to moderate coarse blocky; very hard, firm; common fine roots; common fine pores; distinct light gray rounded cap about 3 mm thick on top of the columns; continuous dark gray clay films and patches of light gray clean sand grains on faces of peds; slightly saline; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Btnz2--33 to 61 cm (13 to 24 in); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse blocky; hard, friable; common fine roots; few fine pores; continuous gray clay films on faces of peds; slightly saline; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btnz horizons is 59 to 64 cm [13 to 25 in].)

Btknz--61 to 102 cm (24 to 40 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; common fine roots; few fine pores; few fine salt crystals; few masses of calcium carbonate and other salts; slightly saline; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 46 cm [10 to 18 in] thick.)

Bknz--102 to 140 cm (40 to 55 in); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron accumulations; many fine salt crystals and calcium carbonate nodules; moderately saline; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 43 cm [10 to 17 in] thick.)

Cnzg--140 to 165 cm (55 to 65 in); gray (5Y 6/1) sandy clay loam, gray (5Y 5/1) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron accumulations; few fine salt crystals; moderately saline; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Willacy County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and Texas Highway 186 on the east side of Raymondville; 18 miles east on Texas Highway 186 to the intersection with Texas Highway 497; 5.2 miles east on Texas Highway 497 to East Port Road in Port Mansfield; 0.8 mile east on East Port Road to Matagorta Road; 0.1 mile south on Matagorta Road; 50 ft east of road in rangeland. Port Mansfield, Texas USGS topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 26 degrees, 32 minutes 59.7 seconds N; Longitude: 97 degrees, 25 minutes, 27 seconds W. NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is 10 to 31 cm (4 to 12 in) from the surface. These soils remain dry in some parts of the moisture control section for 90 or more cumulative days in normal years. The driest periods occur in late winter to early spring and during mid-summer.
Mean annual soil temperature: 24.4 to 26.7 degrees C (76 to 80 degrees F)
Depth to natric horizon: 8 to 36 cm (3 to 14 in)
Depth to secondary carbonates: 51 to 91 cm (20 to 36 in)
Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) is more than 13 and increases with depth in the B and C horizons.

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
CEC/clay ratio: 0.40 to 0.55

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sand or loamy fine sand
EC (dS/m): 2 to 4
Effervescence: None
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline

Btnz horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Iron-manganese segregations- amount-0 to 2 percent; size-fine or medium; kind-nodules
EC (dS/m): 2 to 16
Effervescence: None
Reaction: neutral to very strongly alkaline

Btknz horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam or very fine sandy loam
Iron-manganese segregations- amount-0 to 2 percent; size-fine or medium; kind-nodules
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-few or common, size-fine or medium
EC (dS/m): 2 to 16
Effervescence: slight or strong
Reaction: moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline

Bknz horizon:
Hue: 10YR to N/
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Iron accumulations: amount-few to many, color-shades of brown or yellow
Iron-manganese segregations- amount-0 to 15 percent; size-fine or medium; kind-nodules
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-few to many, size-fine to coarse; kind-concretions, masses or nodules
EC (dS/m): 4 to 16
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline

Cnzg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to N/
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Iron accumulations: amount-few to many, color-shades of brown or yellow
EC (dS/m): 8 to 30
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the Dietrich (TX), Jarron (TX), Matagorda (TX), Narta (TX), Ramita (TX), Santanela (CA), Volta (CA), and Willamar (TX) series.
Jarron, Matagorda, Narta and Volta soils: are in a fine particle size family.
Dietrich, Ramita, Santanela, and Willamar soils: are in a fine-loamy particle size family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy eolian deposits derived from igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock
Landform: Vegetated sand sheet
Slope: 0 to 2 percent but mainly less than 1
Mean annual air temperature range: 22 to 23 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation range: 508 to 762 mm (20 to 30 in)
Precipitation Pattern: Typically, May, June, and September are the wettest months. The driest months are December through March.
Frost-free period: 305 to 365 days
Elevation: 1.5 to 7.6 m (5 to 25 ft)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 33 to 36

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barrada, Lalinda, Mustang, Point Isabel, Saucel, and Willamar series.
Barrada soils: have a clay surface and are on wind tidal flats
Lalinda soils: have a sandy clay loam surface and are on dunes
Mustang soils: are sandy throughout and are on barrier flats
Point Isabel soils: have a clay loam surface and are on dunes
Saucel soils: do not have an argillic horizon and are on a similar positions
Willamar soils: has more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are on a lower landform

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Permeability is moderately slow. Runoff is high. A seasonal water table occurs at depths of 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in) below the surface, which is perched above the argillic horizon after heavy rains. Rarely flooded due to surge from tropical storms.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Prairie type vegetation consists of cordgrass, seashore saltgrass, bushy sea-oxeye, purple lovegrass, seacoast bluestem, sacaton, and annuals. The ecological site is Sandy Flat, PE 25-44 (R150BY708TX).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Saline Prairies (MLRS 150B in LRR T) on the gulf coast of southern Texas. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Willacy County, Texas, 1980.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Willamar series. The series was revised to accurately reflect the laboratory report during the Soil Data Join and Recorrelation initiative in 2016. The surface texture was left as a loamy fine sand as the delineation this site is in was correlated to a loamy fine sand phase. In addition, the previous version had incorrect geocoordinates to the type location.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Particle size control section: 18 to 69 cm (7 to 27 in). (Btnz1 and Btnz2 horizon)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 in). (A horizon)
Natric horizon: 18 to 102 cm (7 to 40 in). (Btnz1, Btnz2, and Btknz horizons)
Aquic conditions: 0 to 102 cm (0 to 40 in) of saturation and reducing conditions

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data from Brooks County, TX (S79TX-047-002) and from Willacy County, TX (S79TX-489-001).

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.