LOCATION ZALCO TX
Established Series
WLM-JKW-RM
01/2018
ZALCO SERIES
The Zalco series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in sandy alluvium of Holocene age. These nearly level soils are on natural levees of streams. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 940 mm (37 in) and the mean annual air temperature is about 21 degrees C (70 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Typic Udifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Zalco fine sand, on north-facing, convex, 0.7 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 15.2 m (50 ft) (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; single grain; loose, very friable; common fine roots; common fine pores; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 38 cm [3 to 15 in] thick)
C1--10 to 48 cm (4 to 19 in); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; single grain; loose, very friable; many thin strata of fine sandy loam; few fine roots; few fine pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
C2--48 to 69 cm (19 to 27 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; massive; loose, very friable; many thin strata of fine sandy loam; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C3--69 to 94 cm (27 to 37 in); brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; massive; loose; very friable; few thin strata of loam and fine sandy loam; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C4--94 to 124 cm (37 to 49 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; massive; loose, very friable; very friable; many thin strata of loamy fine sand; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
C5--124 to 203 cm (49 to 80 in); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; single grain; loose; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline. (Combined thickness of C horizons is 140 to 196 cm [55 to 77 in])
TYPE LOCATION: Victoria County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and Farm Road 446 southwest of Victoria, 3.2 miles southwest on Farm Road 446 across Coleto Creek, 0.1 mile west along south bank of Coleto Creek and 2 ft south in rangeland. Raisin USGS Quad; Latitude: 28 degrees 43 minutes 34.9 N; Longitude: 97 degrees 4 minutes 49 seconds W. NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thin strata and lenses of fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or clay loam are throughout the control section.
Soil Moisture: An udic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is moist in some or all parts for more than 275 days in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 21.7 to 22.2 degrees C (71 to 72 degrees F)
A Horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand
Fragments: amount-0 to 5 percent; kind-quartz
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline
C Horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, or fine sandy loam or the gravelly counterpart below the control section in some pedons
Fragments: amount-0 to 25 percent; kind-quartz
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.series. Other similar series are the
Absco (WI),
Bane (ID),
Bruno (TN),
Dinkey (MI),
Fontaflora (NC),
Kiomatia (TX),
Moundhaven (IN),
Nugent (MS),
Stonehouse (KS),
Whitewash (MI),
Wideman (AR),
Yeager (KY), and
Zalla (TX) series.
Absco and
Wideman soils: mesic soil temperature regime
Bane and
Whitewash soils: frigid soil temperature regime; mixed mineralogy
Bruno soils: a thermic soil temperature regime; mixed mineralogy
Dinkey soils: frigid soil temperature regime; mixed mineralogy
Fontaflora,
Moundhaven, and
Stonehouse soils: mesic soil temperature regime; mixed mineralogy
Kiomatia soils: mixed mineralogy; hue redder than 7.5YR.
Nugent soils: thermic soil temperature regime
Yeager soils: mesic soil temperature regime; mixed mineralogy
Zalla soils: ustic soil moisture regime; mixed mineralogy
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy alluvium of Holocene age
Landscape: River valleys on coastal plains
Landform: natural levee
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual air temperature range: 20.6 to 21.7 degrees C (69 to 71 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation range: 889 to 1143 mm (35 to 45 in)
Precipitation Pattern: Precipitation is uniform throughout the year with slight peaks from May to June and from September to October.
Frost-free period: 260 to 300 days
Elevation: 15 to 91 m (49.2 to 300 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 46 to 64
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the
Chicolete,
Meguin,
Navidad, and
Sinton series.
Chicloete,
Meguin,
Navidad, and
Sinton soils: mollic epipedons; in addition,
Chicolete, Meguin and Sinton have more than 18 percent clay in the control section; on crevasse splay landform.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Permeability is rapid. Runoff is negligible.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for rangeland. Some occasionally flooded areas are in improved bermudagrass pastures. Native vegetation includes switchgrass, little bluestem, purpletop triden, and Virginia wildrye. A few hackberry, cottonwood and live oak trees are in some areas. (Ecological site name: Sandy Bottomland 35-42" Pz; Ecological site number: R150AY541TX)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The soil is mainly along small streams in coastal areas of south Texas; MLRA 150A; LRR-T. It is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Victoria County, Texas; 1980.
REMARKS: This soil was formerly mapped in the Zalla series.
Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in) (A horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data from the soil survey office are available on the typical pedon from Goliad County.
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.