LOCATION VELENO TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, hyperthermic Halic Haplusterts
TYPICAL PEDON: Veleno clay loam on a nearly level linear surface in rangeland at an elevation of 120 m (395 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 14 cm (0 to 6 in), light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam; strong fine subangular blocky structure; very firm, extremely hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common very fine roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular and common medium dendritic tubular pores; strong effervescence; EC is 2; SAR is 7; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm [2 to 8 in])
Bnss1--14 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in), light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay, grayish brown (10YR 5/2), moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; very firm, very sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and many very fine roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular and common medium dendritic tubular pores; 3 percent prominent slickensides; 10 percent prominent pressure faces; strong effervescence; EC is 14; SAR is 27; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 41 cm [4 to 16 in])
Bnss2--30 to 52 cm (12 to 21in), light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay, grayish brown (10YR 5/2), moist; strong medium angular blocky and weak very fine wedge structure; very firm, very sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common very fine roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular and common medium dendritic tubular pores; 20 percent prominent slickensides; 40 percent prominent pressure faces; strong effervescence; EC is 18; SAR is 38; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (15 to 38 cm [6 to 15 in])
Bnss3--52 to 72 cm (21 to 28 in), light brown (7.5YR 6/3) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/3), moist; strong medium angular blocky, and moderate very fine wedge structure; very firm, very sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular and common medium dendritic tubular and common very fine dendritic tubular pores; 25 percent prominent slickensides (pedogenic) and 40 percent prominent pressure faces; 1 percent fine irregular insect casts throughout; strong effervescence; EC is 23; SAR is 39; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (20 to 64 cm [8 to 25 in])
Bnssz--72 to 113 cm (28 to 45 in), light brown (7.5YR 6/3) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/3), moist; moderate fine prismatic, and strong very fine wedge structure; very firm, very sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine dendritic tubular pores; 2 percent prominent organic stains and 30 percent prominent slickensides (pedogenic) and 80 percent prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) pressure faces; 15 percent fine irregular calcite crystals in matrix and 1 percent medium irregular calcite crystals throughout; strong effervescence; EC is 22; SAR is 35; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (33 to 76 cm [13 to 30 in])
Bnssyz--113 to 162 cm (45 to 64 in), brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4), moist; strong coarse angular blocky, and strong fine angular blocky structure; firm, very sticky, moderately plastic; common fine dendritic tubular pores; 20 percent prominent slickensides (pedogenic) on all faces of peds and 30 percent faint brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay bridges on all faces of peds; 3 percent fine irregular calcite crystals in matrix and 2 percent medium irregular barite crystals in matrix; strong effervescence; EC is 22; SAR is 35; anmoderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (33 to 53 cm [13 to 21 in])
Bnyz--162 to 188 cm (64 to 74 in), clay, brown (7.5YR 5/3), moist; strong medium subangular blocky, and strong fine subangular blocky structure; friable, very sticky, moderately plastic; common fine dendritic tubular pores; 20 percent prominent clay films on all faces of peds and 70 percent faint brown (7.5YR 5/3) and brown (7.5YR 5/3) clay bridges on all faces of peds; 1 percent fine prominent spherical strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) in matrix and 1 percent fine; 1 percent fine spherical carbonate masses in matrix and 1 percent fine irregular fecal pellets in matrix and 2 percent fine irregular carbonate masses in matrix and 1 percent medium barite crystals in matrix; strong effervescence; EC is 20; SAR is 36; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (25 to 81 cm [10 to 32 in])
2Bnyz--188 to 216 cm ( 74 to 85 in), clay loam, 85 percent brown (7.5YR 5/3) and 15 percent gray (7.5YR 5/1), moist; strong coarse subangular blocky, and strong fine subangular blocky structure; friable, very sticky, moderately plastic; common fine dendritic tubular pores; 60 percent prominent brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay films on all faces of peds; 3 percent fine prominent spherical strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) in matrix; 3 percent fine irregular calcite crystals in matrix and 1 percent fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) barite crystals in matrix and 1 percent fine irregular fecal pellets; strong effervescence; EC is 19; SAR is 36; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Zapata County, Texas; from the intersection of U. S. Highway 83 and Texas Highway 16 in Zapata; 8.2 miles east on Texas Highway 16 to unpaved county road; 7.1 miles north on unpaved county road to private ranch gate entrance; 1.0 miles northeast along ranch south property fence line to pipeline right-of-way; 0.35 mile west on pipeline right-of-way and 100 feet north in rangeland. Mogotes Hill, Texas USGS topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 27 degrees, 04.0 minutes, 46.7 seconds N; Longitude: 99 degrees, 7.0 minutes, 55.9 seconds W.; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness is more than 203 cm (80 in).
Soil Moisture: An ustic bordering on aridic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section, 8 to 24 inches, is moist in some or all parts for less than 90 consecutive days in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 22 to 23 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F).
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 61 to 127 cm (24 to 50 in)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, or clay; some pedons have a thin (up to 5 cm [2 in]) fine sandy loam layer on the surface
Clay content: 30 to 45 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5
Base saturation: 100
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10
Identifiable secondary carbonates; 0 to 2 percent fine threads and soft masses
EC (dS/cm): 0 to 4
SAR: 1 to 10
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
Bnss horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5
Base saturation: 100
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 12
Identificable secondary carbonates: 0 to 2 percent fine threads and soft masses
EC (dS/cm): greater than 16
SAR: 13 to 40
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
Bnssz and Bnssyz horizons
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 14
Identifiable secondary carbonate: 2 to 19 fine to medium threads or soft masses on faces of peds.
EC: greater than 16
SAR: 25 to 50
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
Bnyz Horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 or 4
Texture: clay, silty clay, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5
Base saturation: 100
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 14 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: 2 to 19 percent fine and medium threads and soft masses, located on faces of peds
EC: greater than 16
SAR: 30 to 50
Effervescence: strongor violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
2Bnyz horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 30 to 50 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5
Base saturation: 100
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 14 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: 2 to 19 percent fine and medium threads and soft masses, located on faces of peds
EC: greater than 16
SAR: 25 to 50
Effervescence: strongly effervescent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the no series in the same family. Similar soils are the
Catarina (TX),
Cochina (TX),
Garceno (TX),
Montell (TX),
Monwebb (TX), and
Viboras (TX) series.
Catarina and Garceno soils: less salinity in the surface layer and are not flooded
Cochina soils: are in a very fine family.
Montell and Monwebb soils: have chromas of 1 and less salinity in the surface layer. In addition, Montell soils are not flooded.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: saline clayey alluvium.
Landform: floodplains
Slope: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual air temperature range: 21 to 23 degress C (70 to 74 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation range: 508 to 610 mm (20 to 24 in).
Precipitation Pattern: The majority of the yearly rainfall occurs during the spring and fall month. The summer months are normally dry with infrequent shows. December and January are usually the driest months.
Frost-free period: 270 to 320 days
Elevation: 46 to 198 m (150 to 650 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index: 20 to 28.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Brundage,
Catarina,
Garceno,
Montell,
Monwebb, and
Viboras soils.
Brundage soils: have a fine-loamy control section and are on slightly higher positions
Catarina and Garceno soils: have lower salinity values in the upper part of the profile and are on higher positions
Montell soils: have surfaces with chromas of 1, less salinity in the upper part of the profile, and are on higher positions
Monwebb soils: have surfaces with chromas of 1, less salinity in the upper part of profile and are on similar positions
Viboras soils: are moderately deep to weathered siltstone and are on higher positions
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is high on slopes less than 1 percent and very high on 1 to 2 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly as rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation consists of four-flower trichloris, Arizona cottontop, Plains bristlegrass, hooded windmillgrass, pink pappusgrass and woody shrubs such as mesquite, pricklypear, Texas ebony, tasajillo, and spiny hackberry. The ecological site is Saline Clay 18-25 PZ(R083BY432TX).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Rio Grande Plains, Texas, LRR I; MLRA 83B; the series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Zapata County, Texas, 2009. This series was proposed in Zapata County, Texas, 2009. The name comes from an arroyo in the central part of Zapata County, Texas.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Montell series. The Montell series typically are not mapped in floodplains. This series will be used for areas mapped as Montell flooded in published soil surveys.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: 25 to 102 cm (10 to 40 in) (Bnss and Bnssyz horizons).
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in)(A horizon).
Slickensides: 25 to 163 cm (10 to 64 in)(Bnss and Bnssz horizons).
Halic horizon: 30 to 100 cm (12 to 40 in)(Bnss and Bnssz horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL sample S01TX-505-002 in Zapata County, Texas. The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is based on NSSL data for sample S01TX-505-002 in Zapata County, Texas.
TAXANOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.