LOCATION CONLEN             TX+OK

Established Series
Rev. TCB-CLN
06/2007

CONLEN SERIES

The Conlen series consists of very deep, well-drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in loamy, calcareous eolian sediments of Pleistocene age. These soils are on nearly level to very gently sloping eolian plains or gently to strongly sloping valley side. Slope ranges from 0 to 12 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 496 mm (19.5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 13 degrees C (55 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, carbonatic, mesic Aridic Calciustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Conlen clay loam - pasture. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine and very fine roots; few strongly cemented calcium carbonate nodules; 32 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

Bkk1--25 to 38 cm (10 to 15 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many fine and very fine roots; common very fine pores; estimated 55 percent by volume of calcium carbonate in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; 54 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bkk2--38 to 100 cm (15 to 40 inches); very pale brown (10YR 8/4) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine pores; estimated 65 percent by volume of calcium carbonate in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; 72 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.

Bkk3--100 to 145 cm (40 to 57 inches); 80 percent light brown (7.5YR 6/4) and 20 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loam, 80 percent brown (7.5YR 5/4) and 20 percent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine and very fine roots; common very fine pores; estimated 50 percent by volume of calcium carbonate in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; 44 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bkk horizons is 75 to 150 cm)

Bk--145 to 203 cm (57 to 80 inches); 90 percent light brown (7.5YR 6/4) and 10 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) fine sandy loam, 90 percent brown (7.5YR 5/4) and 10 percent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine and very fine roots; common very fine pores; estimated 10 percent by volume of calcium carbonate in the form of nodules up to 3 inches in diameter and finely disseminated carbonates; 34 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Hansford County, Texas; from the intersection of State Highway 136 and Farm Road 520 approximately 17.2 kilometers (10.7 miles) south of Gruver; 4.2 kilometers (2.6 miles) west on Farm Road 520; 305 meters (1000 feet) north in range; Latitude: 36 degrees, 07 minutes, 40.1 seconds N; Longitude: 101 degrees, 29 minutes, 19.3 seconds W; Hannas Draw East, 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: 13 to 15 degrees C (54 to 59 degrees F)
Depth to calcic horizon: 18 to 50 cm (10 to 24 in).
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 70 percent in the control section
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm thick.
Particle-size control section: ranges from 18 to 45 percent total clay and 3 to 18 percent carbonate free clay.

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam or clay loam
Effervescence: Strong or violent
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

Upper Bkk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value 5 to 8, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam, silt loam, and clay loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 50 to 80 percent as films, filaments, masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 80 percent
Effervescence: Violent
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline

Lower Bkk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value 5 to 8, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, and clay loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 50 to 60 percent as films, filaments, masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 60 percent
Effervescence: Violent
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline

Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, and sandy clay loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 15 to 49 percent as films, filaments, nodules, masses and finely disseminated carbonates
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 40 percent
Effervescence: Violent
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline

Btk horizon (where present):
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value 5 or 8, 4 or 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 30 to 50 percent by volume as films, filaments, masses, nodules and finely disseminated carbonates
Effervescence: Violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Note: some pedons have a degraded argillic horizon below 150 cm.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Zarmand series in the same family. Similar soils also include the Kerrick, Mansker, Plack, Spurlock, and Sunray series.
Zarmand series: have lithic contact with limestone between 50 and 100 cm.
Kerrick series: have a petrocalcic horizon between 50 and 100 cm.
Mansker series: have average soil temperatures more than 15 degrees C and 18 to 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Plack series: have a petrocalcic horizon between 10 and 50 cm.
Spurlock and Sunray series: have an argillic horizon; in addition the Sunray series has between 18 and 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Loamy, calcareous eolian sediments from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: eolian plains or valley side.
Slopes: 0 to 12 percent
Elevation: 916 to 1,448 meters (2,000 to 4,000 ft)
Mean annual air temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C (54 to 58 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 432 to 559 mm (17 to 22 in)
Frost-free period: 170 to 200 days
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 25 to 36.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the similar Kerrick, Plack, Spurlock, and Sunray series, and the Texline, Capps, Dumas, Gruver, Oslo, and Sherm series.
Kerrick, Plack, Spurlock, and Sunray soils: are on similar landscape positions.
Texline and Capps soils: are on slightly higher landscape positions and have 18 to 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Dumas, Gruver and Sherm soils: are on higher landscape positions and have an argillic horizon.
Oslo soils: are on similar landscape positions and have 18 to 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderately permeable. Surface runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes, low on 1 to 5 percent slopes, medium on 5 to 12 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for livestock grazing. Where cultivated, the principal crops are wheat and grain sorghum. Native vegetation includes mid and tall grasses with a lesser short grass component and a few weedy plants. Forbs may also occur but are not abundant. Grasses include sideoats, blue grama, buffalograss, vine-mesquite, and small amounts of switchgrass. Other species include prairieclover, sensitivebrier, wild alfalfa, daleas, fourwing saltbrush, and cholla. This soil has been correlated to the Limey Upland (R-077AY006TX) ecological site in MLRA-77A.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains, Northern Part (MLRA 77A in LRR H) of Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and possibly northeastern New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sherman County, Texas; 1970.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Mansker series. The Conlen series was revised during the MLRA-77 Update Soil Survey; Hansford County, Texas; 2006. Based on lab data the particle size class changed from fine-loamy to coarse-loamy 3/2007.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - 0 to 25 cm. (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - 25 to 203 cm. (Bkk and Bk horizons)
Plugged horizon feature 25 to 145 cm. (Bkk horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Laboratory data available on pedons (S57TX-195-007), (S03TX-195-001), (S03TX-195-004) from Hansford County, TX and (S94TX-341-003) from Moore County, TX.

TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.