LOCATION SWEETWATER TX+KS OK

Established Series
ERB-JCW-SLM
06/2020

SWEETWATER SERIES

The Sweetwater series consists of very deep, poorly drained, moderately permeable over very rapidly permeable soils that formed in loamy alluvium over sandy alluvium of Holocene age. These soils are on nearly level to gently sloping floodplains and sloughs. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 530 mm (21 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 15 degrees C (59 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Sweetwater silty clay loam - on a 1 percent linear slope, in rangeland at an elevation of 755 m (2477 ft). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 36 cm (0 to 14 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1), silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1), dry; moderate fine granular structure; very hard, friable, many roots throughout; few very fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron-manganese masses in matrix; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.3; clear smooth boundary.

A2--36 to 61 cm (14 to 24 in); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2), dry; weak fine granular and very fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable; many roots throughout; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron-manganese masses in matrix; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.3; gradual smooth boundary. Combined thickness of the A horizons is 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 in)

C--61 to 152 cm (24 to 60 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3), loamy fine sand, very pale brown (10YR 7/3), dry; structureless single grain; soft, loose; common coarse distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron depletions in matrix; few very thin strata of grayish brown fine sandy loam; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.3.

TYPE LOCATION: Hemphill County, Texas; from the junction of US Highway 60 and FM Road 2266 due north of the Canadian River bridge, approximately one mile east on FM Road 2266; 500 ft (150 m) south into the improved pasture.

USGS topographic quadrangle: Canadian East, Texas
Latitude: 35 degrees, 56 minutes, 10.42 seconds north
Longitude: 100 degrees, 21 minutes, 15.10 seconds west

Decimal Degrees
Latitude: 35.9362297
Longitude: -100.3541946
Datum: WGS84

UTM Northing: 3977722
UTM Easting: 377848
UTM zone: 14S

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: A typic aquic moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is saturated and exhibits aquic conditions. The water table fluctuates from 15 to 100 cm (6 to 100 in) below the surface seasonally during the year.

Solum thickness: more than 200 cm (80 in)
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 in)
Depth to redoximorphic features: 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in)
Depth to saturation (water table): endosaturation with seasonal fluctuations within 15 to 91 cm (6 to 36 in) of the soil surface
Particle-size class: Strongly contrasting particle-size class between 38 to 87 cm (15 to 34 in) below the soil surface
Calcareous Reaction Class: free carbonates and effervescent with dilute (1 molar) HCl between 25 and 50 cm below the soil surface
Salinity: non-saline to slightly saline (electrical conductivity 0 to 8 deciSiemens per meter)

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Section range: 25 to 100 cm (10 to 40 in)
Upper part of control section:
Total clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Silicate clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Clay-sized carbonate content: 1 to 3 percent
Total sand content: 5 to 60 percent
Rock fragments (upper part): 0 to 1 percent; fine to coarse gravels; indurated well-rounded quartzite, feldspar, ironstone, and sandstone
Lower part of control section:
Total clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Silicate clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Clay-sized carbonate content: 1 to 3 percent
Total sand content: 75 to 99 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent; fine to coarse gravels; indurated well-rounded quartzite, feldspar, ironstone, and sandstone

A or Ap horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 6, 2 to 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3 moist or dry
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, silty clay loam
Total clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Clay-sized carbonate: 1 to 3 percent
Total sand content: 5 to 55 percent
Rock Fragments: 0 to 5 percent; fine to coarse gravels; indurated well-rounded quartzite, feldspar, ironstone, and sandstone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Effervescence: very slight to strong
Redoximorphic Features: amount-0 to 10 percent, size-fine to medium; kind-iron depletions, masses of manganese and oxidized iron, nodules of iron-manganese, surface coats of manganese
Soil Reaction (pH): slightly to moderately alkaline (7.4-8.4)
Salinity: Nonsaline to slightly saline (Electrical conductivity: 0 to 8 dS/m)

AC horizons (where present):
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 6, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4 moist or dry
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, silty clay loam
Total clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Clay-sized carbonate: 1 to 3 percent
Total sand content: 5 to 55 percent
Rock Fragments: 0 to 5 percent; fine to coarse gravels; indurated well-rounded quartzite, feldspar, ironstone, and sandstone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Effervescence: very slight to strong
Redoximorphic Features: amount-1 to 10 percent, size-fine to medium; kind-iron depletions, masses of manganese and oxidized iron, nodules of iron-manganese, surface coats of manganese
Soil Reaction (pH): slightly to moderately alkaline (7.4-8.4)
Salinity: Nonsaline to slightly saline (Electrical conductivity: 0 to 8 dS/m)

Bk and Bw horizons (where present):
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist or dry
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, silty clay loam
Total clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Clay-sized carbonate: 0 to 5 percent
Total sand content: 5 to 55 percent
Rock Fragments: 0 to 5 percent; fine to coarse gravels; indurated well-rounded quartzite, feldspar, ironstone, and sandstone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 12 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: 0 to 5 percent; fine to medium; masses,
nodules, and concretions
Effervescence: very slight to strong
Redoximorphic Features: amount-1 to 10 percent, size-fine to medium; kind-iron depletions, masses of manganese and oxidized iron, nodules of iron-manganese, surface coats of manganese
Soil Reaction (pH): slightly to strongly alkaline (7.4-9.0)
Salinity: Nonsaline to slightly saline (Electrical conductivity: 0 to 8 dS/m)

C and Ck horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 7, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6 moist or dry
Texture: coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam; thin stratified layers of silty clay, silty clay loam, clay loam, and sandy clay loam are typically also present
Total clay content: 1 to 10 percent
Clay-sized carbonate: 0 to 3 percent
Total sand content: 75 to 99 percent
Rock Fragments: 0 to 5 percent; fine to coarse gravels; indurated well-rounded quartzite, feldspar, ironstone, and sandstone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: 0 to 5 percent; fine to medium; masses,
nodules, and concretions
Effervescence: very slight to violent
Redoximorphic Features: amount-1 to 10 percent, size-fine to medium; kind-iron depletions, masses of manganese and oxidized iron, nodules of iron-manganese, surface coats of manganese
Soil Reaction (pH): slightly to strongly alkaline (7.4-9.0)
Salinity: Nonsaline to slightly saline (Electrical conductivity: 0 to 8 dS/m)

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the Lesho and Waldeck soils.
Lesho soils: are somewhat poorly drained and do not have aquic conditions in the upper parts of the soil profile
Waldeck soils: have a coarse-loamy particle-size class, and do not have aquic conditions in the upper part of the soil profile

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy and loamy alluvium of Holocene age
Landscape: dissected high plains
Landform: floodplains and sloughs
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 457 to 660 mm (18 to 26 in)
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index: 25 to 36
Mean annual air temperature: 13.3 to 16.7 degrees C (56 to 63 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 180 to 210 days
Elevation: 579.1 to 1005.8 m (1900 to 3300 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Duckpond, Gilhula, Guadalupe, Krier, Persimmon, Touzalin, and Wespur series on similar landscape positions.
Duckpond soils: have a mollic epipedon greater than 50 cm (40 in) thick, a fine-silty particle-size class, and do not have free water within the soil profile
Giluha soils: have a coarse-loamy particle size class, and do not have free water within the soil profile
Guadalupe soils: have an ochric epipedon, a coarse-loamy particle-size class, and do not have free water within the soil profile
Krier soils: have an ochric epipedon, a sandy particle-size class, and accumulations of sodium salts and high exchangeable sodium percentage
Persimmon soils: have an ochric epipedon, and a coarse-loamy particle-size class
Touzalin soils: have an ochric epipedon, and a sandy particle-size class
Wespur soils: have fine-loamy particle size control section, and do not have free water within the soil profile

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: poorly drained
Permeability: moderate over very rapid
Runoff: negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes and low on 1 to 3 percent slopes
Flooding: frequency-frequent to rare; duration-extremely brief to brief during the spring and summer months
Ponding: frequent to occasional frequency, brief to long duration during the months of April to July in most years
Saturation (water table): endosaturation within 15 to 91 cm (6 to 36 in) of the soil surface throughout the year

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major use: livestock grazing
Native vegetation: little bluestem, switchgrass, eastern gammagrass, side oats grama, indiangrass, vine mesquite, tall dropseed, alkali sacaton, inland salt grass, and sedges. Major woody species are cottonwood, black willow, and salt cedar (tamarisk).
Ecological sites assigned to phases and components of this series are listed
below. Current ecological site assignments are in Web Soil Survey.
Components of this series include the following ecological sites: Wet Bottomland 16-24" PZ (R077EY571TX)

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General Area: northwestern Oklahoma, southwestern Kansas, and the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles
Land Resource Region: H - Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range Region
Major Land Resource Area: 77E - Southern High Plains, Breaks
Extent: Moderate

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wheeler County, Texas, 1932.

REMARKS:

User Pedon ID: P1974TX211020

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 36 cm (0 to 14 in) (A1 horizon)
Aquic conditions: distinct iron depletions and reduced matrix (A1 and A2 horizons)
Redoximorphic features: iron depletions (A1, A2, and C horizons)
Fluvaquentic features: stratified layers of organic carbon that decrease irregularly with increasing depth
Free carbonates: slightly effervescent in all horizons
Strongly contrasting particle-size class (between the A2 and C horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: KSSL data available. S2010OK007005 (Beaver Co., OK).

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.