LOCATION AXTELL TX+OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Udertic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Axtell very fine sandy loam - post oak savannah. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very friable; many fine and coarse roots; common fine pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
E--3 to 8 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable; many fine and coarse roots; common fine pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bt--8 to 21 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; sticky and plastic; many fine and coarse roots between peds; few fine pores; few pressure faces; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions and few medium distinct strong brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Btss1--21 to 29 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) clay, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; few wedge-shaped peds; extremely hard, very firm; sticky and plastic; common fine, medium, and few coarse roots; few fine pores; thin patchy clay films on surface of peds; common pressure faces; few slickensides; few fine iron-manganese concretions; common medium and coarse distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btss2--29 to 37 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; few wedge-shaped peds; extremely hard, very firm; sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common medium pressure faces; few small slickensides; few fine iron-manganese concretions; few medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Btss horizons is 15 t o45 inches)
Btk1--37 to 53 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm; sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; nearly continuous clay films along surfaces of prisms; few fine pressure faces; 7 percent coatings and masses of calcium carbonate along surfaces of peds; few fine streaks of gypsum; few fine iron-manganese concretions; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Btk2--53 to 75 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; few pressure faces; about 3 percent coatings and masses of calcium carbonate along surfaces of peds; few fine streaks of gypsum; few vertical streaks of dark yellowish brown soil materials; few fine iron-manganese concretions; common medium and coarse distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 26 inches thick)
B't--75 to 80 inches; distinctly and coarsely mottled light gray (2.5Y 7/2), brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and platic; few fine roots; few small slickensides; few coats of calcium carbonate on surfaces of some peds; few streaks of gypsum; few fine and coarse siliceous pebbles; few fine iron-manganese concretions; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Navarro County, Texas; from the intersection of State Highway 22 and Farm Road 55 in Blooming Grove; 1.1 miles south on Farm Road 55; 3.8 miles west-southwest on county road to flood prevention structure; 250 feet west of the west channel below flood prevention structure; 100 feet north in post oak timber. Latitude 32 degrees, 02 minutes 33 seconds N, Longitude 96 degrees, 43 minutes 57 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 80 inches. The boundary between the A and Bt horizons is abrupt over the subsoil crests and clear over the subsoil troughs, and the texture change is abrupt. The solum contains 0 to 5 percent siliceous pebbles, with some pedons containing up to 35 percent pebbles on and in the surface layer. Depth to secondary carbonates ranges from 30 to 65 inches in most pedons. The 10- to 40- inch particle size control section is clayey with average clay content ranging from 35 to 50 percent. COLE ranges from 0.07 to 0.10 in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon and the potential linear extensibility is greater than 2.5 inches in the upper 50 inches of the soil.
The A and E horizons average less than 10 inches thick in more than 50 percent of the pedon, but they are as much as 15 inches thick over subsoil troughs. The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 4. The E horizon has value 1 to 3 units more than the A horizon. The A and E horizons are fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, or their gravelly counterparts. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The upper part of the Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown or gray are in most pedons or the matrix is mottled with these colors. Texture is clay loam or clay. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid, and the base saturation ranges from 50 to 75 percent.
The lower part of the argillic horizon is mottled in hue of 2.5YR to 10YR and are in shades of red, brown, yellow, and gray. In some pedons, the lower Bt horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 5Y. Texture is clay loam or clay. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Btk horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 6. Redoximorphic features are in shades of brown or yellow. Texture is clay loam or clay. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Visible carbonates range from less than 2 to about 10 percent by volume and are in the form of concretions, masses and coatings on the surface of peds.
The B't and BCk horizons, where present, have colors mainly in shades of gray or brown. They are sandy clay loam, clay loam, or clay. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to moderately alkaline and they are calcareous in some pedons. Calcium carbonate concretions and gypsum crystals range from none to common.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bremond, Crockett, Crosstell, Kurten, Navo, Tabor and Zulch series. Similar soils are the Annona, Edge, Gredge, Normangee, Payne, Tabor, and Woodtell series. Bremond soils are moderately acid to neutral in the upper Bt horizon and formed in alkaline clayey sediments. Crockett soils are moderately acid to neutral in the upper Bt horizon, have base saturation of 75 to 100 percent, and formed in alkaline marine clays and shales under prairie vegetation. Crosstell soils have solum thickness of 40 to 60 inches and are underlain by weathered shale and sandstone of the Cretaceous Woodbine formation. Kurten soils have solum thickness of 40 to 60 inches. Navo, Normangee and Payne soils do not have an abrupt textural change between the A and Bt horizon and in addition, Payne soils have COLE of less than 0.07. Tabor soils have A horizons more than 10 inches thick in more than half the pedon and have matrix colors in hue yellower than 7.5YR in the Bt1 horizon. Zulch soils have solum thickness from 30 to 40 inches and are underlain by weathered shale of the Yegua formation. The Annona and Woodtell soils are not dry in any part of the moisture control section for 90 cumulative days in most years. The Edge and Gredge soils do not have vertic properties, have a significant decrease in clay within 35 inches of the surface and Edge soils are less than 60 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Axtell soils are on broad, nearly level to strongly sloping stream terraces and terrace remnants about 50 to 300 feet above the present streams. Also included are terrace remnants on stream divides in erosional uplands. These sediments are mainly of Pleistocene Age. Slopes are mainly between 0 and 5 percent, but range to 12 percent. The soil formed in clayey alluvium. The mean annual temperature ranges from about 64 to 70 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from from 32 to 42 inches. Frost free days range from 240 to 270 days and elevation ranges from 200 to 600 feet. Thornthwaite P-E indices ranges from 54 to 66.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Crockett and Tabor series and the Lufkin, Rader, and Wilson series. Crockett soils are on slightly higher upland positions. Lufkin and Wilson soils are in similar or slightly lower terrace positions and are dominated by colors with chroma 2 or less. Tabor soils are on positions similar Axtell. Rader soils are on similar or slightly lower positions, and have fine-loamy control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is low on slopes less than 1 percent, medium on 1 to 3 percent slopes, and high on 3 to 5 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly cultivated in the past, but now in pasture. Some areas are farmed to corn, grain sorghum, or small grains. Native vegetation is post oak, blackjack oak, hickory, red cedar, greenbriar; grasses include mid and tall grasses such as little bluestem, big bluestem, indiangrass, panicum and paspalum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in east-central Texas, but small areas are in Oklahoma. This soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McLennan County, Texas; 1947.
REMARKS: The Axtell soils were formerly included in the Crockett series. More recently the Edge, Gredge, and Kurten series have been separated out of the Axtell series because they have thinner sola with less clay in the lower Bt horizons. This revision confines the Axtell series to stream terraces or terrace remnants in upland positions. This will reduce the total acres of the series. However, it will still be moderately extensive. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 8 inches. (A and E horizons)
Abrupt textural change - occurs at 8 inches depth (between E and Bt horizon).
Argillic horizon - 8 to 80 inches. (Bt horizons)
Vertic properties - COLE is 0.07 to 0.10. Slickensides and pressure faces in argillic horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: McLennan County, Texas: Soil Survey Laboratory Memo 2; 1954; Profiles 53, 54, 55, and Typical Pedon: Navarro County, Texas: S84TX-349-1.
Soil Interpretation Record Number: TX0328