LOCATION VISA                    TX+NM

Established Series
Rev. TCB-AB-WJG
06/2020

VISA SERIES

The Visa series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils. The soils formed in sandy, wind-altered eolian deposits of Holocene age. These soils are on very gently sloping to moderately sloping dunes and interdunes. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 406mm (16 in). and the mean annual air temperature is 12 degrees C (54 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, mesic Grossarenic Paleustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON:Visa fine sand, on southeast-facing, moderately sloping dune, 5 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of about 1,307 meters (4,288 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 36 cm (0 to 14 in); brown (7.5YR 4/4), dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; fine sand; single grained; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots fine roots throughout and very few coarse roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 100 cm [10 to 40 in.] thick)

Bw1--36 to 58 cm (14 to 23 in); strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), brown (7.5YR 3/6) moist; loamy fine sand; single grain; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, rapid permeability; common very fine and fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

Bw2--58 to 110 cm (23 to 43 in); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; loamy fine sand; single grained; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout and few fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. Combined thickness of Bw horizons 50 to 80 cm [20 to 31 in.] thick)

Bt1--110 to 167 cm (43 to 66 in); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6),strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots and fine roots throughout and few coarse roots throughout; 10 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt2--167 to 190 cm (66 to 75 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6), yellowish red (5YR 4/6)moist; fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic; moderately rapid permeability; few very fine roots throughout; 8 percent faint clay films between sand grains; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons 50 to 100 cm [20 to 40 in.] thick)

2Bw--190 to 203 cm (75 to 80 in); light brown (7.5YR 6/4), brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; loamy fine sand, single grain; soft; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; moderately alkaline; noneffervescent.

TYPE LOCATION:Hartley County, Texas; from intersection of US 54 and Ranch Road 3296 approximately 31 miles southwest of Dalhart, Texas; then 0.9 miles north on Ranch Road 3296; approximately 3.4 miles west in rangeland.
Latitude: 35 degrees, 44 minutes, 3.78 seconds N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 59 minutes, 51.24 seconds W.
Decimal Degrees
Std Latitude: 35.7343833
Std Longitude: -102.9975667
Romero, Texas USGS quad; WGS 84

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 220 days, cumulative, in normal years. November through March are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in April through October.
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 15 degrees C (52 to 59 degrees F).
Depth to argillic: 100 to 150 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Particle-size control section: 8 to 35 percent silicate clay
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in).

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral or moderately alkaline

E horizon (where present):
Hue: 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Bw horizons:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral or moderately alkaline

Bt horizons:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6
Texture: sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam
Effervescence: none
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES:These are no series in the same family. Similar soils include the Nara, Valerian, and Vingo series.
Nara soils are on similar landscape positions and have an argillic horizon within 100 cm (40 inches).
Valerian soils are on slightly higher landscape positions and have a sandy particle size class and do not have argillic horizons.
Vingo soils are on similar landscape positions and have a coarse-loamy particle size class and argillic horizons less than 50 cm (20 inches) from the mineral soil surface.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy eolian deposits of Holocene Age.
Landform: very gently sloping to moderately sloping dunes and interdunes.
Slopes: 1 to 8 percent.
Precipitation Pattern: Precipitation is typically uniform throughout most of the year with rainfall the highest from April through October. Average snowfall is about 18 inches annually from November through April.
Mean annual precipitation: 381 to 432 mm (15 to 17 in)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 22 to 28
Mean annual air temperature: 10 to 14 degrees C (50 to 58 degrees)
Frost-free period: 165 to 190 days
Elevation: 1158 to 1798 m (3,800 to 5,899 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:These include the Corlena, Dallam, Monia, Nara, Spurlock, Valerian, Vingo, and Visaseries.
Dallam soils are on nearly level to gently sloping plains have a fine-loamy particle size class.
Corlena soils are on narrow floodplains of draws have a fine-silty particle size class.
Nara and Visa soils: are on interdunes and dunes and have argillic horizons and do not have a calcic horizon.
Spurlocksoils are on similar landscape positions and have argillic horizons and carbonatic mineralogy.
Valerian soils: are on dunes and have a sandy particle size class.
Vingo soils are on similar landscape positions and have a coarse-loamy particle size class

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:Well drained. Moderately rapid permeability. Surface runoff is negligible on slopes less than 3 percent and very low on 3 to 8 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION:Mainly used for livestock grazing. Climax vegetation is a Tallgrass/Shrub community. The major tallgrass species are sand bluestem, giant sandreed, little bluestem, and taller dropseed species. The midgrasses are sideoats grama, sand lovegrass, sand paspalum, sand dropseed, blue grama, and perennial threeawns. A large variety of forbs exist but the amount varies greatly from year to year. Woody shrubs consist of sand sagebrush, skunkbush sumac, yucca, and the occasional sand plum thickets. This is a fragile site and is subject to severe wind erosion if not protected by cover. This soil has been correlated to the Sand Hills (R077BY020TX) ecological site in MLRA-77B, 12-17" PZ.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico
Land Resource Region: H - Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range Region
Major Land Resource Area: 77B - Southern High Plains, Northwestern Part
Extent: Minor

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

SERIES PROPOSED:MLRA-77B Soil Survey; Hartley County, Texas; 2020.

REMARKS:These soils were formerly included in the Valentine and Vingo series.

ADDITIONAL DATA:P2018TX205044

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0-36 cm (0 to 14 in.) A horizon
Cambic horizon: 36-110 cm (14 to 43 in.) Bw1, Bw2 horizons
Argillic horizon: 110-190 cm (43 to 75 in.) Bt1, Bt2 horizons
Lithologic discontinuity feature: 190-203 cm (75 to 80 in.) 2Bw horizon

Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2017.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.