LOCATION BEVIL TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Dystraquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Bevil clay--woodland in microlow.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ag--0 to 9 inches; gray (N 5/0) clay; weak coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron accumulations; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) stains along root channels; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)
Bg--9 to 23 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) and common fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) iron accumulations; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Bssg1--23 to 34 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; common prominent slickensides; few pressure faces; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron accumulations; few soft brown iron-manganese masses 2 to 3 mm in diameter; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bssg2--34 to 45 inches; gray (N 5/0) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; few pressure faces; common prominent slickensides; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and few fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) iron accumulations; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bssg3--45 to 55 inches; gray (N 6/0) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; few pressure faces; common prominent slickensides; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and common fine and medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) iron accumulations; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bssg4--55 to 66 inches; light gray (N 7/0) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; common pressure faces; common prominent slickensides; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and common fine and medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) iron accumulations; few soft brown concretions 2 to 3 mm in diameter; few gray clayey krotovina; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bssg5--66 to 80 inches; light gray (N 7/0) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine roots; few fine pores; many pressure faces; common prominent slickensides; many coarse prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) iron accumulations; few soft brown masses 2 to 3 mm in diameter; common soft black masses 3 to 10 mm in diameter; neutral. (combined thickness of the Bssg horizon is 55 to 72 inches)
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 to China, 1.5 miles north on North China Road, 1.3 miles west on private road, 1.1 miles north on farm road, 0.25 miles west to Cotton Creek, 0.1 mile south on farm road, 75 feet west in woodland. (Latitude 30N, 05, 11; Longitude 94W, 21, 40)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The range in characteristics includes 50 percent or more of the pedon unless otherwise stated. Solum thickness is more than 80 inches. Texture is clay or silty clay throughout. Weighted average clay content of the particle-size control section is 45 to 60 percent. This cyclic soil ranges from about 3 to 12 feet from the top of the microhigh to the center of the microlow. Undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microhighs 4 to 15 inches above the microlows. The microhighs comprise about 30 percent, the microlows about 50 percent, and the intermediate areas about 20 percent. When dry, cracks 0.5 to 1 inch wide occur at the surface which extend to a depth of 12 inches or more. Cracks remain open for less than 60 cumulative days in most years. Slickensides and wedge shaped peds begin at a depth of 12 to 25 inches. Iron manganese concretions and/or masses range from few to common. These soils have aquic soil conditions within 1 foot of the surface in most years.
The A horizon has neutral colors with value of 4 or 5 or has colors with hue 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow, and brown range from few to many. The A horizon ranges from 3 to 15 inches thick from the microhigh to microlow but is commonly 6 to 12 inches thick. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bg horizon has neutral colors with value 5 to 7 or has color with hue of 10YR to 5Y, value 4 to 7, and chroma of of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow or brown range from few to many. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bssg horizons have neutral color with value 4 to 7 or have color with hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow, or brown range from few to many. Reaction is very strongly acid or 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 competing series. Similar soils are Ashford, Beaumont, Garner, and Vamont series. Ashford soils have a very-fine particle-size control section. Beaumont soils are in the hyperthermic temperature regime on the Coast Prairie MLRA. Garner soils are moderately well drained and do not have aquic conditions in mosts years. Vamont soils are somewhat poorly drained and do not have aquic conditions in the upper part in most years.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bevil soils are on broad, nearly level forested terraces. Surfaces are plane or slightly concave and the gradient is less than 1 percent. They formed in clayey flood basin deposits on the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene age. Mean annual temperature ranges from 68 to 70 degrees F. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 50 to 60 inches. Frost free days range from 250 to 265 and elevation ranges from 25 to 50 feet above sea level. Thornthwaite P-E index ranges from 68 to 80.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Vamont and Texla soils. Vamont and Texla soils are slightly higher in the landscape and are somewhat poorly drained. In addition Texla soils have a loamy surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Bevil soils are poorly drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is low. In wet seasons, these soils are saturated from 0 to 12 inches for periods of 1 to 3 months. These soils have aquic conditions within 1 foot of the surface in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in woodland of mixed hardwood and pine. Some areas are used for native pasture, and cropland. Principal trees consists of various species of water oak, red oak, with loblolly pine and sweetgum. The understory consists of andropogon, paspalums, panicums, sedges, and rushes. A few areas have been cleared and used for improved pastures or cultivated to rice.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Texas, mainly east of the Trinity River in the Flatwoods (MLRA 152B). The series is of minor extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Texas; 1996.
REMARKS: The Bevil soils were formerly included with the Garner and a depressional phase of the Vamont series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 9 inches (A horizon).
Cambic horizon - 9 to 80 inches (Bg, and Bssg horizons).
Aquic feature - redoximorphic features throughout the pedon and aquic conditions in the upper part of the pedon in most years.
Vertisol features - Slickensides at a depth of 23 to 80 inches and cracks that extend to a depth of 12 inches or more during dry peritods
Soil Interpretation Record Number: TX1113.