LOCATION STEGALL TX+NM
Established Series
Rev. ACT-TCB-RM
07/2014
STEGALL SERIES
The Stegall series consist of soils that are moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon. They are well drained and moderately slowly permeable above a very slowly permeable petrocalcic horizon. These soils formed in loamy eolian sediments over a layer of indurated caliche which is underlain by loamy calcareous material derived from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age. They are on broad, smooth, nearly level to very gently sloping plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 457 mm (18 in) and the mean annual temperature is 16 degrees C (61 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Petrocalcic Paleustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Stegall loam, on a southeast-facing, nearly level plain, 0.6 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 1,250 m (4,100 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 in); brown (7.5YR 4/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; many roots; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness is 10 to 25 cm [ 4 to 10 in].)
Bt1--18 to 38 cm (7 to 15 in); brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure and moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, firm; few roots; few fine pores; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--38 to 56 cm (15 to 22 in); brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate and fine medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm; few roots; few fine pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--56 to 71 cm (22 to 28 in); brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine angular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine pores; few wormcasts; few films and threads of calcium carbonate and few fine weakly cemented nodules; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness is 15 to 55 cm [6 to 22 in].)
Bkkm--71 to 97 cm (28 to 38 in); indurated platy caliche; the upper 5 cm (2 in) is laminar, the upper surfaces of the plates are smooth, the lower surfaces have pendants of strongly cemented calcium carbonate up to 1 cm long; violently effrvescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness is 15 to 91 cm [6 to 36 in].)
BCk--97 to 203 cm (38 to 80 in); reddish yellow (5YR 7/6) clay loam, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) moist; massive; hard, firm; about 50 percent calcium carbonate in the form of films, masses, and weakly cemented nodules; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Bailey County, Texas; From the intersection of U. S. Highway 84 and Texas State Highway 214 in Muleshoe, south 14 miles on Texas State Highway 214 to Farm Road 298 ; west 11.5 miles on Farm Road 298 to Bailey County Road 51 ; North 1 mile on Bailey County Road 51 to Bailey County Road 1204, west 0.6 miles on Bailey County Road 1204; 540 ft south in cropland. SE corner of Sec. 8, Block Y, Bailey County, Texas, SSR atlas sheet 33; Latitude: 34 degrees, 01 minute, 00 seconds N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 58 minutes, 00 seconds W; Stegall, Texas USGS quad; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 180 but less than 205 days, cumulative, in normal years. October through March are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist April through September.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 64 degrees F)
Depth to secondary carbonates: 51 to 64 cm (20 to 25 in)
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 51 to 91 cm (20 to 36 in)
Solum thickness: 51 to 102 (20 to 40 in)
Particle-size control section: 35 to 60 percent silicate clay.
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, clay loam
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Bt horizons:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay loam, clay
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Visible calcium carbonate: none to few films and threads in the lower part of the Bt horizon.
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Bkm horizon:
Ranges in thickness from 15 cm (6 in) to 1 m, and from strongly cemented to indurated in at least the upper 1 cm (1/2 in), and ranges from moderately to strongly cemented below.
BCk horizons:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loam, clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: common to many films, masses, and weakly cemented nodules
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 60 percent by volume
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the
Arvana,
Douro,
Friona,
Goliad,
Lea,
Sharvana, and
Slaughter series.
Arvana and
Douro series: have ochric epipedons and less than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon.
Friona and
Lea series: have less than 35 percent clay in the control section. In addition, Lea series does not have an argillic horizon.
Goliad series: is in the hyperthermic temperature regime.
Slaughter and
Sharvana series: are less than 51 cm (20 in) deep over indurated caliche.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy eolian sediments over a layer of indurated caliche which is underlain by loamy calcareous material derived from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: broad, smooth, nearly level to very gently sloping plains.
Slopes: generally less than 1 percent but range to 3 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 17 cm (57 to 63 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 432 to 533 mm (17 to 21 in)
Frost-free period: 185 to 220 days.
Elevation: 762 to 1,311 m (2,500 to 4,300 ft).
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 19 to 28.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the similar
Arvana,
Lea,
Olton,
Sharvana, and
Slaughter soils and the
Kimbrough and
Randall series.
Arvana,
Lea and
Olton soils are all found on similar landscape positions.
Randall soils are found only on the floor of playas.
Sharvana soils are on slightly higher convex landscape positions.
Kimbrough soils are found on similar landscape positions, do not have argillic horizons, and are less than 51 cm (20 in) deep over indurated caliche.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderately slow permeability above and below the very slowly permeable petrocalcic horizon. Surface runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes and low on 1 to 3 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for cropland. Principal crops grown are cotton and grain sorghum and wheat. Climax vegetation is mainly short and mid grasses, with mid grasses tending to dominate. This site is dominated by blue grama and buffalograss with lesser amounts of vine-mesquite, western wheatgrass, galleta or tobosa, silver bluestem, wild alfalfa and prairieclover.. Woody plants include catclaw sensitivebrier and yucca. This soil has been correlated to the Deep Hardland (R077CY022TX) site in MLRA-77C.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains of west Texas and eastern New Mexico (sub-MLRA-77C). The soil is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bailey County, Texas; 1960.
REMARKS: Series revised MLRA-77 Soil Survey; Hockley County, Texas; 1998.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 38 cm (0 to 15 in) (Ap, Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon: 18 to 71 cm (7 to 28 in) (Bt horizons)
Petrocalcic horizon: 71 to 97 cm (28 to 38 in) (Bkm horizon)
Calcic horizon: 97 to 203 cm (38 to 80 in) (BCk horizon)
Soil interpretations record: TX0251
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.