LOCATION SARITA             TX

Established Series
JLJ-ROG-CLN
12/2007

SARITA SERIES

The Sarita series consists of very deep well drained, moderately slow permeable soils formed in sandy eolian deposits over loamy Quaternary age alluvium. These soils are on gently undulating sandy eolian plains associated with vegetated dunes on the Sandsheet Prairie of the South Texas Coastal Plain. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 23 degrees C (73 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 64 cm (25 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, hyperthermic Grossarenic Paleustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Sarita fine sand--0 to 3 percent slopes in rangeland at an elevation of 70 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, very friable; common fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (thickness of the A horizon is 5 to 91 cm [2 to 36 in])

E--20 to 122 cm (8 to 48 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose, very friable; few fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (thickness of the E horizon is 51 to 173 cm [20 to 68 in])

2Bt1--122 to 132 cm (48 to 52 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine and medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redox concentrations; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; extremely hard, friable; few distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; common fine pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

2Bt2--132 to 147 cm (52 to 58 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist, many medium and coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and a few fine distinct red (2.5YR 4/6) redox concentrations; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; extremely hard, friable; common distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; few fine and medium pores; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 15 to 56 cm [6 to 22 in])

2Bt3--147 to 203 cm (58 to 80 in); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; very hard, friable; common faint clay films on vertical surfaces of peds; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Hidalgo County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 281 and Texas Highway 186 in Linn; 6.6 miles north on U.S. Highway 281 to ranch road; 1.4 miles east on ranch road, 100 feet south in rangeland. Linn NE, Texas USGS topographic quadrangle. Latitude: 26 degrees, 38 minutes, 39 seconds North; Longitude: 98 degrees, 05 minutes, 26 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)
Depth to argillic horizon: 102 to 150 cm (40 to 60 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
CEC/clay ratio: 0.40 to 0.60

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sand or loamy fine sand
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

E horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sand or loamy fine sand
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

2Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 12 to 34 percent, with the highest clay contents in the upper few inches of the 2Bt horizon and in a second maximum, or clay bulge expressed graphically, at depths of 60 to 80 inches
Clay films: few to common, faint or prominent on faces of peds, lining of pores, and bridging of sand grains
Redox concentrations: amount- few to many, size- medium or coarse, and contrast- distinct or prominent
Redox depletions: amount- none to common, size- medium or coarse grayish depletions occur in some pedons, and contrast- faint to prominent.
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils include Bobillo (TX), Desan (TX), Falfurrias (TX), Lopeno (TX), Nueces (TX), Padina (TX), Patilo (TX), and Rhymes (TX) series.
Bobillo and Rhymes soils: have siliceous mineralogy.
Desan, Padina, and Patilo soils: have thermic temperature regime and are siliceous
Falfurrias soils: do not have an argillic horizon within 203 cm (80 inches)
Lopeno soils: have buried horizons and a seasonal water table within 102 cm (40 in) of the surface
Nueces soils: have A and E horizons 102 to 203 cm (20 and 40 in) thick

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy eolian Holocene age sediments over loamy Quaternary age alluvium
Landform: low vegetated dunes on sandsheet prairie
Slopes: 0 to 5 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 22 to 23 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F)
Mean annual rainfall: 53 to 71 cm (21 to 28 in)
Frost-free period: 270 to 341 days
Elevation: 9 to 145 m (30 to 475 ft)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 21 to 40

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Comitas, Delfina, Falfurrias, Nueces, and Padrones series.
Comitas and Nueces soils: have surfaces 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in) thick and are on slightly lower landforms
Delfina soils: have surfaces less than 51 cm (20 in) thick and are on lower landforms
Falfurrias soils: do not have a argillic horizon and are on higher landforms
Padrones soils: have a natric horizon and are on similar to slightly lower landforms

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; Permeability is moderately slow. Runoff is negligible.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for livestock grazing, forage production, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mostly midgrasses of fall witchgrass, plains bristlegrass, seacoast bluestem, hooded windmillgrass, fringeleaf paspalum, threeawn, grassbur; a scattering of mesquite trees and motts of liveoak occur on areas. A few areas are used for irrigated crop production with peanuts, vegetables, and watermelons. The ecological site is Sandy, PE 31 to 44 (R083EY706TX).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sandsheet Prairie (MLRA 83E in LRR I) of southern Texas. The series is extensive.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Starr County, Texas; 1970.

REMARKS: This is a Benchmark Series.
These soils were formerly included in the Nueces series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon 0 to 122 cm (0 to 48 in)
Grossarenic feature 0 to 122 cm (0 to 48 in)
Argillic horizon 122 to 203 cm (48 to 80 in)

ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory data on type location S76TX-215-2 (760766-760769), 376TX-013-2 (761287-761289), and S98TX-131-003.

TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys of Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.