LOCATION SPARENBERG         TX+NM

SPARENBERG SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Udic Haplusterts

TYPICAL PEDON: Sparenberg clay, midway between microhigh and microlow, 0.2 percent slope in playa basin at an elevation of about 922 meters (3,025 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure and moderate medium angular blocky; hard, firm; very sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; cracks 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide at the surface extend through the horizon; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 38 cm thick)

Bw--10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm; very sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint vertical lenses of dark brown (10YR 3/3) crack fill material on faces of peds; cracks 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide extend through the horizon; few strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron stains in pores; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

Bss1--25 to 43 cm (10 to 17 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate coarse wedge-shaped aggregates parting to strong medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; very sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; few faint vertical lenses of dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) crack fill material on faces of peds; common distinct slickensides on horizontal faces of peds; cracks 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide extend through the horizon; few faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions on faces of peds; few fine distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) iron stains on faces of peds; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bss2--43 to 71 cm (17 to 28 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate coarse wedge-shaped aggregates parting to strong medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; few faint vertical lenses of dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) crack fill material on faces of peds; common distinct slickensides on horizontal faces of peds; cracks 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide extend through the horizon; few faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions on faces of peds; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bss3--71 to 119 cm (28 to 47 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate coarse wedge-shaped aggregates parting to strong medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; few faint vertical lenses of pale brown (10YR 6/3) crack fill material on faces of peds; common distinct slickensides on horizontal faces of peds; cracks 2.5 cm (0.5 inch) wide extend through the horizon; few fine calcium carbonate nodules; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bss4--119 to 155 cm (47 to 61 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate coarse wedge-shaped aggregates parting to strong medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm; few fine and common medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; few faint vertical lenses of pale brown (10YR 6/3) crack fill material on faces of peds; common distinct slickensides on horizontal faces of peds; cracks 2.5 cm (0.5 inch) wide extend through the horizon; few fine calcium carbonate nodules; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bss horizons is 102 to 152 cm)

Bkss--155 to 203 cm (61 to 80 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common fine distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) mottles; moderate coarse wedge-shaped aggregates parting to strong medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm; very sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; few distinct slickensides on horizontal faces of peds; common fine masses and concretions of calcium carbonate, about 5 percent; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Lynn County, Texas; From the intersection of Farm Road 211 and Farm Road 1054 4.3 kilometers (2.7 miles) southeast of Wilson; 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) east on Farm Road 211; 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) south on county road; 122 meters (400 feet) west in playa basin; Latitude: 33 degrees, 16 minutes, 56 seconds N; Longitude: 101 degrees, 38 minutes, 15 seconds W; Wilson, Texas USGS quad; NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on udic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts more than 180 but less than 205 cumulative days in normal years. July through August and November through March are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through October and April through June. These soils receive runoff and are moist in the soil moisture control section for longer periods of time than the soils of surrounding uplands.
Mean annual soil temperature: 16 to 18 degrees C (60 to 65 degrees F).
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 25 to more than 152 cm (10 to more than 60 inches).
Depth to slickensides: 13 to 51 cm (5 to 20 inches).
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 inches).
Particle-size control section: 40 to 50 percent silicate clay.
This is a cyclic soil and undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microhighs 10 to 46 cm (4 to 18 inches) higher than microlows. Distance between the center of the microhigh and the center of the microlow is about 1.5 to 4.6 meters (5 to 15 feet). The microhigh makes up about 25 percent, the intermediate, or area between the high and low, about 50 percent, and the microlow about 25 percent. Cracks open and close each year except during higher than normal rainfall years, and remain open for less than 150 cumulative days during most years. When dry, 1 to 7.6 cm (0.4 to 3 inch) wide cracks extend from the surface to a depth of 102 cm (40 inches) or more. Cracks are more prominent in the microlows. COLE is more than 0.07. Where redox features exceed 3 percent, they occur in less than 25 percent of each pedon. The range in characteristics represents 50 percent or more of each pedon unless otherwise stated.

Ap horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Redoximorphic features: none or few
Texture: clay
Effervescence: none to strong
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

Bw horizon: (where present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5, 2 to 4 moist (where moist color values are 4 they comprise less than 50 percent of the matrix)
Chroma: 1 or 2
Redoximorphic features: none or few
Texture: clay
Effervescence: none to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

Bss horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Redoximorphic features: none or few
Texture: clay
Visible calcium carbonate: ranges from 0 to 2 percent in the form of films, threads, and concretions
Effervescence: none to strong
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline

Bkss horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 8, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Redoximorphic features: none or few
Texture: clay
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent
Visible calcium carbonate: ranges from 3 to 40 percent in the form of threads, masses, and concretions
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bleiblerville, Branyon, Burleson, Clarita, Dimebox, Fairlie, Heiden, Houston Black, Leson, Luling, McLean, Ovan, Sanger, Slidell, and the Watonga series. Similar soils are the Chapel, Lazbuddie, Lockney, Ranco, and Randall series.
Bleiblerville, Branyon, Burleson, Clarita, Dimebox, Fairlie, Heiden, Houston Black, Leson, Luling, Ovan, Sanger, Slidell, and Watonga soils: have mean annual soil temperature more than 18 degrees C (65 degrees F).
Chapel soils: have a calcic horizon.
Lazbuddie and Lockney soils: have a calcic horizon and cracks that remain open for 210 cumulative days during most years.
McLean soils: have 50 to 60 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Ranco and Randall soils: have aquic moisture conditions during most years.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey lacustrine sediments derived from Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: in playas 0.6 to 15 meters (2 to 50 feet) below the surrounding plain and range in size from a few acres to more than 50 acres.
Slopes: range from 0 to 1 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C (58 to 63 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 381 to 508 millimeters (15 to 20 inches).
Frost-free period: 200 to 220 days.
Elevation: 823 meters to 1189 meters (2,700 to 3,900 feet).
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 24 to 32.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar Chapel and Ranco series and also the Acuff, Amarillo, Drake, Lofton, Midessa, Olton, Pep, Portales, and Posey series.
Chapel soils: on similar landscape positions and have a calcic horizon.
Ranco soils: on similar landscape position and have aquic conditions in most years.
Acuff, Amarillo, Midessa, Pep, Posey, and Portales soils: on slightly higher landscape positions, have less than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have calcic horizons. In addition, Acuff, Amarillo, and Posey soils have an argillic horizon.
Lofton and Olton soils: on slightly higher landscape positions and have an argillic horizon.
Drake soils: on calcareous eolian dunes and have 35 percent or less silicate clay in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Very slow permeability. Surface runoff is negligible. These soils occasionally pond for brief to long periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for livestock grazing and some crop production. Many areas are planted to wheat in the fall and utilized for livestock pasture during the winter months. During dry years, some areas are cultivated to cotton or grain sorghum. Native vegetation varies according to amount of water available. It includes western wheatgrass, buffalograss, blue grama, vine mesquite, Texas blueweed, kochia, western ragweed, cocklebur, sunflower, and mares-tail. Bur ragweed, sedges, spike rush, bushy knotweed, frog-fruit, and saltmarsh aster may occur in wetter areas. This soil has been correlated to the Playa (077CY027TX) range site in MLRA-77.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains, Southern Part (MLRA 77C in LRR H) of western Texas and eastern New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: MLRA-77 Soil Survey; Lynn County, Texas; 1995.

REMARKS: The Sparenberg series was formerly included in the Randall series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - 0 to 25 cm. (Ap and Bw horizons)
Vertic features - 25 to 203 cm (Bss & Bkss horizons) wedge-shaped aggregates and slickensides. Cracks open and close each year except during higher than normal rainfall years, and remain open for less than 150 cumulative days during most years. When dry, 1 to 7.6 cm (0.4 to 3 inch) wide cracks extend from the surface to a depth of 102 cm (40 inches) or more.

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL-S94TX-305-1

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