LOCATION YELLOWLAKE TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, thermic Vertic Natrustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Yellowlake clay, on an east-facing plane, 0.5 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of about 3,400 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many fine and medium roots; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--7 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and plastic; many fine and medium roots; strongly saline; strongly sodic; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--14 to 22 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) clay, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine pores; distinct clay films; few dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) iron-manganese stains on faces of peds; strongly saline; strongly sodic; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Bty1--22 to 33 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; few pressure orientations on faces of peds; distinct clay films; common fine and medium distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) iron coatings and few dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) iron-manganese stains on faces of peds; few fine and medium gypsum crystals; many fine and medium pockets of gypsum crystals; strongly saline; strongly sodic; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Bty2--33 to 45 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) clay, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine vesicular and tubular pores; few pressure orientations on faces of peds; distinct clay films; common fine and medium distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) coatings and few dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) iron-manganese stains on faces of peds; few fine and medium gypsum crystals; common fine and medium pockets of gypsum crystals; strongly sodic; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
BCy--45 to 66 inches; pale yellow (5Y 7/3) clay, pale olive (5Y 6/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine pores; few pressure orientations on faces of peds; distinct clay films; common fine and medium distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) iron coatings and few dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) iron-manganese stains on faces of peds; common fine and medium pockets of gypsum crystals; few light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) selenite crystals; strongly saline; strongly sodic; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 22 inches thick)
C--66 to 80 inches; pale yellow (5Y 7/3) clay, pale olive (5Y 6/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; few fine pockets of gypsum crystals; strongly saline; strongly sodic; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lamb 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 north approximately 1 mile, then 1000 feet east in rangeland; Latitude: 33 degrees, 49 minutes, 47.44 seconds N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 28 minutes, 39.88 seconds W; Oklahoma Flat, Texas USGS quad; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 90 but less than 180 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: 60 to 65 degrees F.
Depth to sodic horizon: 4 to 18 inches.
Depth to gypsum crystals: 18 to 38 inches.
Solum thickness: 60 to 80 inches.
Particle-size control section: 35 to 45 percent silicate clay; 20 to 40 percent clay-size carbonates.
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay loam, silty clay, clay
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 30 percent
EC (dS/m): 4 to 16
SAR: 13 to 75
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 or 3
Texture: silty clay, clay
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 30 to 40 percent
EC (dS/m): 4 to 16
SAR: 13 to 75
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
Bty horizons:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 or less
Texture: silty clay, clay
Gypsum: none to common in the form of crystals
Organic stains: none to common as coatings on faces of peds and root channels.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 35 to 50 percent
EC (dS/m): 4 to 16
SAR: 13 to 75
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
BCy horizon: (where present)
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 or less
Texture: silty clay, clay
Gypsum: none to common in microcrystals
Selenite: none to common as crystals 1 to 3 cm in length.
Organic stains: none to common as coatings on faces of peds and root channels.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 35 to 50 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: strongly or very strongly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: silty clay, clay
Gypsum: none to common in the form of crystals
Selenite: none to common as crystals, 1 to 3 cm in length.
Organic stains: none to common as coatings on faces of peds and root channels.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 35 to 50 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: strongly or very strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the
Cedarlake,
Chapel,
Grier,
Lazbuddie, and
Portales series.
Cedarlake series: has aquic conditions and a calcic horizon.
Chapel and Lazbuddie series: have SAR values of less than13 and have a calcic horizon.
Grier series: has less than 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section and has aquic conditions.
Portales series: has less than 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section and has a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous, clayey lacustrine sediments of the Tahoka Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: linear to slightly concave benches of salina basins.
Slopes: range from 0 to 1 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 58 to 63 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 15 to 20 inches.
Frost-free period: 190 to 220 days.
Elevation: 2,900 to 4,300 feet.
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 24 to 32.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the similar
Cedarlake series and the
Arch,
Arvana,
Berda,
Creta,
Drake,
Midessa,
Portales,
Potter,
Veal, and
Yellowhouse series.
Cedarlake soils are on slightly lower landscape positions, have aquic conditions, and have a calcic horizon.
Arvana soils are on higher landscape positions and have a petrocalcic horizon.
Arch and Portales soils are on similar landscape positions and have 18 to 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Creta soils are on slightly higher landscape positions and have a paralithic contact within 60 to 80 inches of the soil surface.
Berda, Drake, and Midessa soils are on higher landscape positions and have less than 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Potter and Veal soils are on higher landscape positions and have carbonatic mineralogy.
Yellowhouse soils are on slightly higher landscape positions, have a paralithic contact within 20 to 40 inches of the soil surface, and have an ochric epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Very slow permeability. Surface runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for rangeland and wildlife habitat. This is a short and mid grass site with a good variety of forbs and a smaller woody plant component. Major grass species are black grama, dropseed, western wheatgrass, alkali muhly, inland saltgrass, sideoats grama, and some buffalograss. Forbs include dotted gayfeather, sensitive briar, and bush sunflower. Cholla, prickly pear, and mesquite are the major woody species. In extremely saline areas, vegetation is sparse. This soil has been correlated to the Wet Saline (077CY689TX) range site in MLRA-77.
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; Lamb County, Texas; 1997
REMARKS: Yellowlake soils were formerly included in the Church series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 14 inches. (A horizons)
Argillic horizon: 14 to 45 inches. (Bt, Bty horizons)
Natric horizon: 14 to 66 inches. (Bt, Bty, BCy horizons)
Gypsic horizon: 22 to 45 inches. (Bty horizons)
Vertic feature: 14 to 66 inches. (Bt, Bty, BCy horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL-S96TX227-001, Lamb County, Texas; S94TX210-015, Hockley County, Texas
Soil interpretations record: TX1322
Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998.