LOCATION YTURRIA TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Pachic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Yturria fine sandy loam--in cropland at an elevation of 15 meters (48 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; many fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
A--20 to 66 cm (8 to 26 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular and subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine roots; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizons is 51 to 107 cm [20 to 42 in])
Bk1--66 to 112 cm (26 to 44 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine calcium carbonate nodules and masses; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bk2--112 to 165 cm (44 to 65 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many fine calcium carbonate nodules and masses; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline. (combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 31 to 61 cm [12 to 24 in])
Bk3--165 to 203 cm (65 to 80 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine calcium carbonate nodules and masses; very strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline
TYPE LOCATION: Willacy County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and Texas Highway 186 in Raymondville; 10.5 miles west on Texas Highway 186 to county road; 3.1 miles north on county road, 0.1 mile east, 100 feet south of a fence in cropland. La Sal Vieja, Texas USGS topographic quadrangle. Latitude: 26 degrees, 31 minutes, 52 seconds North: Longitude: 97 degrees, 56 minutes, 53 seconds West; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime. Precipitation pattern: moist spring and fall months and dry summer and winter months. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 90 but less than 180 cumulative days in normal years. June through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through May.
Solum thickness is more than 203 cm (80 in)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
CEC/clay ratio: 0.60 to 0.80
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Secondary carbonates: few to many masses and nodules of calcium carbonate
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. Similar soils include the
Comitas (TX),
Lanque (AZ),
Medley (TX),
Odem (TX),
Racombes (TX), and
Turcotte (TX) series.
Comitas soils: have a sandy surface horizon more than 51 cm (20 in) thick and have a argillic horizon
Lanque and Medley soils: are in a thermic temperature regime and the Medley soils are in a fine-loamy family
Odem soils: have irregular distribution of organic matter in the solum
Racombes soils: are in a fine-loamy family and have an argillic horizon
Turcotte soils: are fine-loamy and have a mollic epipedon less than 51 cm (20 in) thick
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy eolian sediments of Quaternary age
Landform: blowout dunes on vegetated sandsheet
Slopes: 0 to 5 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 22 to 23 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F)
Average annual precipitation: 610 to 711 mm (24 to 28 in)
Frost-free period: 300 to 341 days
Elevation: 6 to 36 m (20 to 110 ft)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 31 to 40
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Falfurrias,
Lalinda,
Nueces,
Palobia,
Padrones,
Sarita, and
Willacy series.
Falfurrias soils: are sandy throughout and are on vegetated sand dunes
Lalinda soils: are calcareous throughout and are on clay dunes
Nueces and Sarita soils: have an argillic horizon and an ochric epipedon on low vegetated dunes
Palobia and Padrones soils: have a natric horizon and are on vegetated sandsheet
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability; runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 precent slopes and very low on 1 to 5 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for crop production, forage production, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists of an overstory of mesquite, condalia, blackbrush, and acacia species; grasses are little bluestem, fourflower trichloris, hooded windmillgrass and plains bristlegrass. The ecological site is Sandy Loam, PE 31 to 44 (R083EY702TX)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sandsheet Prairie (MLRA 83E in LRR I) in southern Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Willacy County, Texas; 1977. The series name is for a railroad marker in Willacy County.
REMARKS: These soils formerly were included with the Willacy series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon 0 to 66 cm (0 to 26 in)
Pachic feature 0 to 66 cm (0 to 26 in)
Cambic horizon 66 to 112 cm (26 to 44 in)
ADDITIONAL DATA: TAMU data from Kenedy County, TX (S00TX-261-003).
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006