LOCATION YELLOWHOUSE TX

Established Series
TCB-WMR-RM
08/2013

YELLOWHOUSE SERIES

The Yellowhouse series consists of moderately deep, well drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in calcareous, loamy colluvium derived from the
Ogallala Formation of Miocene-Pliocene age over residuum weathered from limestone, sandstone, and shale of Cretaceous age. These soils are on gently sloping to steep escarpments and valley sides. Slope ranges from 3 to 45 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 483 millimeters (19 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 16 degrees C (61 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, thermic Aridic Haplustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Yellowhouse very paragravelly clay loam, on an east-facing, convex, 8 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of about 1,060 meters (3,480 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 13 cm (0 to 5 inches); pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; common very fine and fine roots; few fine pores; about 25 percent by volume of 0.2 to 7.5 cm (0.1 to 2 inch) coarse fragments consisting of very strongly cemented (mostly) calcium carbonate and limestone; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 cm [2 to 10 inches] thick)

Bw1--13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches); pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) moist; few coarse distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few very fine and fine roots; few fine pores; about 25 percent by volume of 0.2 to 7.5 cm (0.1 to 2 inch) coarse fragments consisting of very strongly cemented (primarily) calcium carbonate and limestone; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm [4 to 10 inches] thick)

Bw2--25 to 43 cm (10 to 17 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; common medium and coarse faint dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) mottles; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine pores; about 9 percent by volume of 0.2 to 7.5 cm (0.1 to 2 inch) coarse fragments consisting of very strongly cemented (primarily) calcium carbonate and limestone; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm [4 to 10 inches] thick)

Bw3--43 to 56 cm (17 to 22 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) gravelly clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; few fine distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and common fine and medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) mottles; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; about 18 percent by volume of 0.2 to 7.5 cm (0.1 to 2 inch) coarse fragments consisting of very strongly cemented (primarily) calcium carbonate and limestone; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm [4 to 10 inches] thick)

2BC--56 to 69 cm (22 to 27 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) gravelly clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; common fine and medium faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and distinct dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) mottles; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine pores; about 23 percent by volume of 0.2 to 7.5 cm (0.1 to 2 inch) coarse fragments consisting of very strongly cemented calcium carbonate and limestone; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm [0 to 10 inches] thick)

2Cd1--69 to 94 cm (27 to 37 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) very gravelly silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; few fine and medium faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) mottles; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; stratified layers of siltstone, shale, and very strongly cemented thin platy limestone; few very fine and fine roots between fragments; about 53 percent by volume 0.2 to 7.5 cm (0.1 to 2 inch) coarse fragments consisting of very strongly cemented calcium carbonate and limestone; common 0.6 to 2.5 cm (0.25 to 1 inch) thick layers of interstratified gypsum and soluble salt crystals along bedding planes; slightly effervescent; slightly saline; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 51 cm [0 to 20 inches] thick)

2Cd2--94 to 178 cm (37 to 70 inches); gray (2.5Y 5/1), light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3), and yellow (2.5Y 7/8) clay, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1), light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3), and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; stratified layers of siltstone, shale, and weakly cemented thin platy limestone; few very fine roots between fragments; common 1.3 to 2.5 cm (0.5 to 1 inch) thick layers of gypsum and soluble salt crystals on fragment surfaces and along bedding planes; slightly effervescent; slightly saline; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 89 cm [10 to 35 inches] thick)

2Cd3--178 to 203 cm (70 to 80 inches); gray (2.5Y 5/1) and yellow (2.5Y 7/8) clay, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; stratified layers of siltstone, shale, and weakly cemented thin platy limestone; common 1.3 to 2.5 cm (0.5 to 1 inch) thick layers of gypsum; soluble salt crystals on fragment surfaces and along bedding planes; slightly effervescent; slightly saline; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Hockley County, Texas; from the intersection of Farm Road 1490 and Farm Road 597; 3.25 miles west on Farm Road 597; north on Yellowhouse Ranch road 2.5 miles to Ranch Headquarters, from Main House northwest approximately 0.5 mile on road through rangeland, then 300 feet west in rangeland; Latitude: 33 degrees, 47 minutes, 7.12 seconds, N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 28 minutes, 56.33 seconds, W; Oklahoma Flat, 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 220 days, cumulative, in normal years. July through August and December through
February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through June.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 64 degrees F).
Depth to densic bedrock contact: 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 inches).
Depth to gypsiferous materials: 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 inches).
Particle-size control section: 35 to 50 percent silicate clay.

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Epipedons with moist value and chroma less than 3.5 are less than 7 inches thick or have less than 0.6 percent organic carbon.
Texture: clay loam
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent siliceous gravel
Pararock fragments: 5 to 40 percent moderately cemented calcium carbonate and limestone fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 40 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately to strongly alkaline
Note: fragments of limestone or caliche cover 2 to 20 percent of the soil surface.

Bw horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: clay loam, clay
Pararock fragments: 10 to 35 percent moderately cemented calcium carbonate and limestone fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 60 percent
EC (dS/m): 0 to 2
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 5
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately to strongly alkaline

BC horizon: (where present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5
Texture: clay
Pararock fragments: 10 to 45 percent moderately cemented calcium carbonate and limestone fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 40 percent.
EC (dS/m): 4 to 8
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 13
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately to strongly alkaline

Cr horizons:
Hue: 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: weathered interbedded siltstone, shale, and thin limestone that slakes in water within 15 hours and has a bulk density high enough to be root restrictive.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent
EC (dS/m): 4 to 8
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 13
Gypsum: 0 to 20
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils include the Berda, Creta, and Potter series.
Berda series: has 18 to 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section and does not have a paralithic contact.
Creta series: has 18 to 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section and has weathered siltstone and shale at depths greater than 60 inches.
Potter series: has carbonatic mineralogy and does not have a paralithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous, loamy colluvium derived from the
Ogallala Formation of Miocene-Pliocene age over residuum weathered from limestone and shale of Cretaceous age.
Landform: gently sloping to steep escarpments and valley sides.
Slopes: 3 to 45 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C (57 to 62 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 432 to 533 millimeters (17 to 21 inches).
Frost-free period: 185 to 220 days.
Elevation: 792 to 1,463 meters (2,600 to 4,800 feet).
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 25 to 36.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the similar Berda, Creta, and Potter series and the Kimbrough, Portales, Veal, and Yellowlake soils.
Berda, Potter, and Veal soils are on slightly higher landscape positions and do not have a paralithic contact.
Creta soils is on similar or slightly lower landscape positions and has a paralithic contact deeper than 40 inches.
Portales soils is on lower landscape positions and has a mollic epipedon.
Yellowlake soils is on lower landscape positions and does not have a paralithic contact within 20 to 40 inches of the soil surface.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability of the soil above the root restrictive layer is moderately slow and the permeability of the bedrock densic layer is very slow to impermeable.. Runoff is high on 3 to 5 percent slopes and very high on 5 to 45 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used nearly exclusively for rangeland. Climax vegetation includes sideoats grama, little bluestem, buffalograss, hairy grama, slim tridens, purple and wright threeawns, bushsunflower, gray goldaster, daleas, gayfeather, plains blackfoot, sundrops, catclaw, ephedra, hackberry, and javelinabrush. This soil has been correlated to the Very Shallow (R077EY068TX) ecological site in MLRA-77E.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Southern High Plains of western Texas (sub-MLRA-77E). The series is of minor extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: MLRA-77 Soil Survey; Hockley County, Texas; 1997.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Berda and Potter series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 13 cm (0 to 5 inches). (A horizon)
Paralithic contact: occurs at 69 cm (27 inches).
Note: Weathered siltstone and shale that slakes in water within 15 hours and
have a bulk density high enough to be root restrictive. Thin limestone interbedded(5 to 20 cm or 2 to 8 inches thick) occur in some pedons at depths of 50 to more than 100 cm (20 to 40 inches).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Data available - 96TX-219-001 (Hockley County, Texas).

Soil interpretations record: TX1322

Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.