LOCATION CONTEE TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Chromic Hapluderts
TYPICAL PEDON: Contee clay loam--rangeland.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 8 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky; common fine concretions of calcium carbonate; few fine black concretions; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bss--8 to 27 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; strong medium and fine angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky; few fine roots; few tubular pores; shiny pressure surfaces on peds; few fine iron-manganese concretions; few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
Bssk--27 to 49 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; moderate fine and very fine angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky; few fine roots; shiny pressure surfaces on peds; few fine iron-manganese concretions; about 10 percent concretions of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 28 inches thick)
Bk--49 to 62 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, weak fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky; few fine faint light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) iron concentrations; few fine black iron-manganese concretions; about 10 percent fine concretions of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)
BCk--62 to 80 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) clay loam; massive; very hard, firm; sticky; common fine faint yellow (10YR 7/6) iron concentrations; few fine black iron-manganese concretions; about 15 percent masses and fine concretions of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Calhoun County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highway 35 and U. S. Highway 87 in Port Lavaca; about 5.6 miles southwest on Texas Highway 35; 0.35 mile northwest on a county road; 60 feet southwest of county road on micro-high in rangeland. (Latitude 28 degrees, 34 minutes, 04 seconds N; Longitude 96 degrees, 43 minutes, 40 seconds W).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 80 inches. When dry, cracks 0.4 of an inch to about 2 inches wide extend from the surface to a depth of more than 20 inches. Pressure surfaces range from few to many, with a few distinct slickensides in most pedons. Concretions and masses of calcium carbonate range from few to common. Most pedons have a few dark concretions of iron-manganese throughout. Reaction is typically moderately alkaline and calcareous, however, parts of some pedons are non-calcareous and neutral, or are slightly alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, chroma of 1 or 2. Yellowish or brownish redox features range from none to common. Texture is clay loam, silty clay, or clay, with clay content of 35 to 50 percent.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Some pedons have yellowish or brownish redox features. Texture is clay or silty clay.
The BC horizon has color in shades of gray, brown, or yellow. Texture is clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils include the Aransas, Edroy, and Laewest series. Aransas, Edroy, and Laewest soils have a mollic epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Contee soils are on broad nearly level to gently sloping areas on low uplands. Slopes are mainly less than 1 percent, but range up to 5 percent in small areas. Contee soils are on micro-high positions in either ridge-swale or micro-high and micro-low relief in complex soil areas. The soil formed in calcareous clayey sediments of the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene age. Average annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 40 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 70 to 73 degrees F. Elevation ranges from 5 to 50 feet. Frost-free days range from 290 to 310. Thornthwaite P-E index ranges from 40 to 56.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dacosta and Laewest series. Dacosta soils are on slightly depressional areas adjacent to the Contee soils in complex soil areas. Dacosta soils have a argillic horizon and a dark, massive, hard-setting epipedon. Laewest soils are in areas adjacent to Dacosta and Contee soils and are slightly higher in the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is high. Permeability is very slow. The soil is saturated during winter and spring months.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland and rangeland. Crops are cotton, grain sorghum, corn, and rice. Native vegetation includes little bluestem, indiangrass, sideoats grama, Texas wintergrass, huisache, and mesquite.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern part of the Gulf Coast Saline Prairie (MLRA 150B) of Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Calhoun County, Texas; 1972.
REMARKS: Classification changed from Vertic Haplaquepts to Chromic Hapluderts 11/2000 based on typifying pedon description. Further study and characterization data of the series is needed to verify hydrology and classification.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are;
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 8 inches (A horizon).
Vertic feature - 8 to 49 inches (Bss and Bssk horizon) includes pressure surfaces and cracks with slickensides in some pedons.
Calcic horizon - 27 to 80 inches (Bssk, Bk, and BCk horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: none.
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999.