LOCATION SPADE                   TX

Established Series
Rev. RED-GSM-ERB-JCW
01/2017

SPADE SERIES

The Spade series consists of moderately deep, well drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils that formed in loamy residuum weathered from calcareous weakly to strongly cemented sandstone. These very gently sloping to moderately sloping soils occur on interfluves and side slopes of hillslopes and ridges. Slope ranges from 1 to 8 percent. The Mean annual precipitation is about 533 mm (21 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 16.7 degrees C (62 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Haplustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Spade fine sandy loam--rangeland.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); brown (7.5YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) when moist; structureless; soft, very friable; few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; few siliceous pebbles; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual boundary. Thickness is 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in)

Bk1--20 to 66 cm (8 to 26 in); brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) when moist; weak coarse prismatic breaking to subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; few fine concretions, threads and films of calcium carbonate; few medium siliceous pebbles; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear boundary. Thickness is 25 to 76 cm (10 to 30 in)

Bk2--66 to 76 cm (26 to 30 in); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) when moist; weak subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; contains about 5 percent by volume, of soft masses and a few concretions of calcium carbonate; calcareous; moderately alkaline; abrupt boundary. Thickness is 5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 in) Combined thickness of the Bk horizon is 30 to 91 cm (12 to 36 in)

Cr--76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 in); interbedded weakly cemented and strongly cemented yellowish and grayish calcareous sandstone with thin discontinuous coatings of whitish calcium carbonate on the upper surface and in the fractures; massive; hard.

TYPE LOCATION: Mitchell County, Texas; in a native pasture 200 feet east of county road, which is 0.28 mile north of southwest corner of Section 66, Block 24, T&P RR Co., Survey. Approximately 11 miles east of Colorado City and 2.7 miles south of Interstate Hwy. 20 on South Narrel Road.
USGS topographic quad: Baumann School, Texas;
Latitude, 32 degrees, 22 minutes, 2.43 seconds N;
Longitude, 100 degrees, 40 minutes, 28.69 seconds W.
Datum: WGS84.
UTM Easting 342400.48 m, UTM Northing 3582374.30 m, UTM Zone 14.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Aridic Ustic soil moisture regime
Depth to paralithic bedrock: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in)

Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent

A horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 to 4; pedons having mollic colors are not thick enough to qualify for a mollic epipedon
Texture: fine sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent, sandstone or quartzite gravels
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Effervescence: none to strong
Reaction (pH): neutral to moderately alkaline (6.6 to 8.4)
.

Bk horizons
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: 3 to 30 percent, films, threads, soft masses, and concretions
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction (pH): moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)

Some pedons have a transitional Bk/Cr horizon.

Cr or R layer
Weakly to strongly cemented sandstone or conglomerate and varies in color from red to gray to yellow in hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y. Thickness ranges from 1 to several feet.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Mobeetie and Vortex series in the same family. Similar soils are the Cobb, Dill, Enterprise, Hardeman, Shrewder, and Woodward series.
Mobeetie soils: are more than 203 cm (80 in) deep to bedrock and formed in material derived from the Ogallala Formation of Mio-Pliocene age.
Vortex soils: are more than 203 cm (80 in) deep to bedrock and formed in alluvium on fan remnants and stream terraces in MLRA 38.
Cobb soils: are fine-loamy in the particle-size control section, have an argillic horizon, and are moist in the moisture control section for longer periods.
Dill soils: are noncalcareous, are moist in the moisture control section for longer periods, and formed in material weathered from red noncalcareous sandstone of Permian age.
Enterprise and Woodward soils: have less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand in the particle-size control section. In addition, Enterprise soils are more than 203 cm (80 in) deep to bedrock.
Hardeman and Shrewder soils: are more than 152 cm (60 in) deep to bedrock and are moist in the moisture control section for longer periods.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy residuum weathered from calcareous sandstone or sandy conglomerate of varying hardness, thickness and color
Landscape: dissected plains
Landform: interfluves and side slopes of hillslopes or ridges
Slope: 1 to 8 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 457 to 635 mm (18 to 25 in)
Thornthwaite P-E index: 25 to 35
Mean annual air temperature: 15.6 to 17.8 degrees C (60 to 64 degrees F)
Frost Free Days: 200 to 230
Elevation: 548.6 to 838.2 m (1800 to 2750 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cobb, Cosh, Latom and Miles series.
Cobb and Miles soils: occur on lower footslopes and have argillic horizons. In addition, Miles soils are more than 203 cm (80 in) deep to bedrock
Cosh soils: occur on similar to higher positions, are less than 51 cm (20 in) deep to bedrock, and have an argillic horizon.
Latom soils: occur on similar to higher shoulder and summit positions and are less than 51 cm (20 in) deep to lithic bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately rapid in the solum and moderately slow to moderate in the bedrock. Runoff is low on slopes less than 5 percent and medium on slopes greater than 5 percent.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly native grassland; some areas are cultivated and used for sorghums and cotton. Vegetation is dominantly midgrasses with an overstory of woody plants, mostly mesquite, catclaw, and sand sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Texas; Land Resource Region - H; MLRA 78B Central Rolling Red Plains, Western Part. The series is moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mitchell County, Texas; 1967.

REMARKS:
Edited 01/2017 (RFG-ROG): Changed to tabular format. Added metric measurements. Updated competing series, geographic setting, and associated soils sections.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 25 to 76 cm (10 to 30 in)
Soil moisture: a moisture control section that in normal years is dry in some part for six-tenths or more of the cumulative days per year
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in) (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: 20 to 76 cm (8 to 30 in) (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Paralithic contact: weakly cemented sandstone at 76 cm (30 in) (Cr horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA: None

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

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.