LOCATION FADDIN TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Aquic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Faddin fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless stated.)
A--0 to 16 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; many fine and very fine and few medium roots; common very fine pores; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Bt1--16 to 24 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; common medium and coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and few fine and medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; moderate fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; common fine and very fine and few medium roots; few very fine pores; few small slickensides and pressure faces; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--24 to 35 inches; gray (10YR 6/l) clay, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; common medium and coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; common fine and very fine roots; few small slickensides and pressure faces; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (9 to 25 inches thick)
Bt3--35 to 46 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm; few fine roots; clay films along faces of prisms and patchy clay films on faces of some peds; few fine black concretions; few pitted concretions of calcium carbonate 2 to 5 mm in diameter; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Btk--46 to 80 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure parting to weak fine and very fine subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm; few fine roots; thin patchy clay films on faces of some peds; few fine dark concretions; about 30 percent by volume soft powdery masses of calcium carbonate 0.4 to 1 cm across; few pitted concretions of calcium carbonate 0.5 to 8 cm in diameter; calcareous; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Victoria County, Texas; from the intersection of Loop 175 and U. S. Highway 77 southwest of Victoria, 11.3 miles south on U.S. Highway 77 to Farm Road 445, 1.9 miles east on Farm Road 445, 1.0 mile northeast and north, 0.45 mile east, and 50 feet north in rangeland.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. The mollic epipedon is 16 to 30 inches thick and includes the upper part of the argillic horizon in most pedons. Depth to free carbonates ranges from 28 to 40 inches. Most pedons have a few dark concretions with amounts increasing with depth.
The A horizon averages about 16 inches thick. It ranges from 8 to 14 inches thick on subsoil crests and 14 to 20 inches thick in subsoil troughs. There is a discontinuous E horizon, 1 to 3 inches thick in subsoil troughs of some pedons. It has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or loam. The reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Reddish, yellowish, or brownish mottles range from few to many in the upper part and from none to common in the lower part. It is clay, clay loam, or sandy clay with clay content of 35 to 57 percent. The upper boundary of the Bt horizon is abrupt on subsoil crests, but is usually clear in the center of subsoil troughs. Concretions of calcium carbonate range from none to a few with a few threads or soft masses of carbonates in the lower Bt horizon of some pedons. Reaction increases with depth and ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The Btk horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 4. Some pedons have few to common grayish, brownish, or yellowish mottles. It is sandy clay loam, clay loam, or sandy clay. Concretions and soft masses of calcium carbonate range from common to many. The matrix is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline and is typically calcareous.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Other competing series are the Bernard, Bonham, Dacosta, and Woodson series. Bernard, Bonham, and Dacosta soils lack an abrupt textural change between the epipedon and argillic horizon. In addition, Bernard soils have A horizons less than 10 inches thick and have mean annual temperature less than 72 degrees F. Also, Dacosta soils lack a mollic epipedon. Bonham and Woodson soils have mean annual soil temperature less than 72 degrees F., and Woodson soils have sola less than 60 inches thick and lack free carbonates.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Faddin soils are on broad nearly level to gently sloping uplands of the Coast Prairie Land Resource Area. The slope gradient is commonly 0 to 3 percent, but along narrow drainageways ranges to 5 percent. The soils formed in clayey sediments of the Pleistocene System mainly in the Beaumont and southern portions of the Lissie Geologic Formations. Mean annual temperature is 72 to 75 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 42 inches. Thornthwaite annual P-E indices range from 44 to 66. Elevation ranges from 25 to 150 feet and frost free period from 260 to 280 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Dacosta series and the Edna, Fordtran, and Lake Charles series. Dacosta soils are on slightly lower areas. Edna and Fordtran soils lack mollic epipedons and are in slightly lower positions. Lake Charles soils are clayey throughout, have vertic properties, and are on similar or slightly lower positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; very slow permeability. Water perched on top of the argillic horizon for periods of a few hours to 3 days following extended heavy rain. During wet years planting may be delayed for short periods.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland and a few areas are used for growing grain sorghum. Native vegetation included grasses such as little bluestem, indiangrass, brownseed paspalum and balsamscale.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal Prairie of Texas. The series is inextensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Victoria County, Texas; l980
REMARKS: The classification is changed from Abruptic Argiaquolls to Aquic Argiudolls based on the "Soil Moisture Study Conducted in Texas and Louisiana (ICOMAQ) 1990." This soil does not have an aquic moisture regime. These soils were formerly mapped in the Bernard or Telferner series. Data from NSSL, Sample Nos., 79PO183-187.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 24 inches. (A, Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizons - the zone from approximately 16 to 80 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Btk)