LOCATION BEAUMONT TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Chromic Dystraquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Beaumont clay--cropland. (Colors are for moist soil)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; weak fine granular structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--5 to 9 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; moderate fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common coarse prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) iron accumulations; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron accumulations in pores and along root channels; few fine iron-manganese concretions; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A subhorizons is 4 to 16 inches thick)
Bg--9 to 19 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay; moderate fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common distinct pressure faces; common coarse prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron accumulations in pores and along root channels; common fine iron-manganese concretions and masses; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bssg1--19 to 43 inches; gray (N 6/0) clay; strong fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common to many (increase with depth) prominent slickensides tilted 65 to 75 degrees from horizontal that are 4 to 6 inches apart; few medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and common medium prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) iron accumulations; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron accumulations in pores and along root channels; common fine iron-manganese concretions and masses; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
Bssg2--43 to 56 inches; gray (N 6/0) clay; strong fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; many prominent slickensides tilted 65 to 75 degrees from horizontal that
are 4 to 6 inches apart; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) iron accumulations; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Bssg3--56 to 80 inches; light gray (N 7/0) clay; strong fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; many prominent slickensides tilted 65 to 75 degrees from horizontal that are 4 to 6 inches apart; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) iron accumulations; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Texas; from the intersection of Interstate Highway 10 and U.S. Highway 90 in Beaumont; 12.2 miles west on U.S. Highway 90; 4.6 miles south on South China Road; 1.0 mile east on county road; 0.5 mile south on field road; 150 feet west in cropland. (Latitude 29N, 58, 39; Longitude 94W, 19, 50)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The range in characteristics includes 50 percent or more of the pedon. Solum thickness is more than 80 inches. Texture is clay or silty clay throughout. Weighted average clay content of the control section is 45 to 60 percent. Undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microknolls 4 to 15 inches above the microdepressions. When dry, cracks 1/2 to more than 1 inch wide at the surface extend to a depth of 12 inches or more. Cracks remain open for less than 60 cumulative days in most years. Depth to slickensides and wedge shaped peds begin at a depth ranging from 10 to 24 inches. Iron-manganese concretions and/or masses range from few to common.
In 5 to 25 percent of some pedons, gypsum crystals and/or calcium carbonate concretions in clusters, make up 1 to 5 percent.
The A horizon has grayish colors with hue 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow, and brown range from few to many. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bg horizon has color in hue of 10YR to 5Y, and N, value 5 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2. Iron accumulations in shades or red, yellow or brown range from few to many. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bssg horizon has color in hue of 10YR to 5Y, and N, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow, or brown range from few to many. Reaction is extremely acid to strongly acid in the upper part, very strongly acid to moderately acid in the middle part, and very strongly acid to neutral in the lower part.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Closely similar soils include Bacliff, China, League, and Vamont series. Bacliff and Vamont soils are strongly to moderately acid in the upper part. China and League soils are Dystruderts and have mollic colors 12 to 40 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Beaumont soils are on the broad, nearly level Coastal Prairie east of the Trinity River. Surfaces are plane or slightly concave and the gradient is less than 1 percent. They formed in clayey flood basin deposits on alluvial plains or deltas on the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene age. Mean annual temperature ranges from 70 to 72 degrees F. Frost free days range from 250 to 270 and elevation ranges from 5 to 40 feet above sea level. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 50 to 60 inches and the Thornthwaite P-E index ranges from 68 to 80.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing China and League soils and also Harris and Viterbo soils. China and League soils are 6 to 18 inches higher in the landscape. Harris soils are very poorly drained Haplaquolls, and lower in the landscape on marshes. Viterbo soils have a argillic horizon and are on the same to slightly higher positions in the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Beaumont soils are poorly drained and very slowly permeable. Runoff is low.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for native pasture or rice production. Rice is usually grown on a 1 in 4 year rotation. Improved pastures are mostly bahiagrass. Native grasses are mainly little bluestem, indiangrass, eastern gamagrass, switchgrass, Flordia paspalum, big bluestem, brownseed paspalum, knotroot bristlegrass, sedges and rushes. In some areas pine and hardwood trees have encroached.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Prairie of Texas east of the Trinity River (MLRA 150A). The Beaumont series has been mapped extensively from Beaumont to Victoria. However, the soils mapped in the Beaumont series west of the Trinity River will be included in the Bacliff or other series. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Texas; 1947
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 9 inches.
Cambic horizon - 9 to 80 inches.
Aquic feature - redoximorphic features 9 to 80 inches and aquic conditions in the upper part of the pedon in most years.
Vertisol features - Slickensides at a depth of 19 to 80 inches. High shrink-swell potential and cracks that are 1/2 to about 1 inch wide at a depth of 12 inches or more during dry periods.
SOIL INTERPRETATION RECORD NUMBER: TX0022, TX1112
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data from type location in Jefferson Co. Tex. (S90-TX-245-021); NSSL data Liberty Co. TX (S59-TX-123-02)(S83-TX-291-05); TAMU data Chambers Co. TX (S55-TX-36-90)(S55-TX-36-91).