LOCATION FORDTRAN TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, hyperthermic Aquic Arenic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Fordtran loamy fine sand--rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 16 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry, loamy fine sand; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2); weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; many fine roots; 3 percent by volume of rounded siliceous pebbles; common wormcasts; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 20 inches thick)
Eg--16 to 28 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry, loamy fine sand; light gray (10YR 7/2); single grained; soft, loose; common fine roots; few wormcasts; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bt1--28 to 36 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, sandy clay; white (10YR 8/2);; moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine siliceous pebbles; common clay films; many medium to coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common medium prominent dark red (10R 3/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Bt2--36 to 48 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) dry, sandy clay; white (10YR 8/1); moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few fine roots; common clay films; few weakly cemented dark concretions; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Bt3-48 to 58 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) dry, sandy clay loam; white (10YR 8/1);; weak coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm; patchy clay films; few weakly cemented dark concretions; many coarse and medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and red (10R 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
BCt--58 to 80 inches; mottled light gray (10YR 6/1), dark red (10R 3/6) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sandy clay loam; weak coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm; few patchy clay films; common rounded siliceous pebbles; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: DeWitt County, Texas; from the intersection of U. S. Highways 87 and 183 in Cuero, Texas; 11 miles southeast on U. S. Highways 87 to Thomaston; 4.0 miles northeast of Thomaston on a county road; 3.0 miles north on a county road; 260 feet east of road in rangeland.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. Base saturation is 75 percent or more in some part of the argillic horizon. Dark concretions range from none to a few throughout. Subrounded siliceous pebbles 1 cm to 8 cm in diameter range from none to 15 percent by volume.
The A horizon ranges from 20 to 40 inches thick. The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 to 4.
The E horizon is 1 to 3 units of value greater than the A horizon. They are loamy fine sand and the reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 8, chroma of 1 or 2 with few to many mottles in shades of yellow, red, brown, or other shades of gray. The upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon is clay, sandy clay or clay loam with clay content of 35 to 50 percent. The lower part of the Bt horizon includes sandy clay loam. The upper part of the Bt horizon ranges from strongly acid to neutral. The lower part of the Bt horizon ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The BCt horizon is in shades of gray, yellow or brown with mottles in shades of red and yellow, or it has a mottled matrix with these colors. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline. Some pedons have concretions and masses of calcium carbonate with or without gypsum crystals.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils are Leming, Milby, Roemer, Straber, and Tremona. Leming and Tremona are in ustic moisture regimes. Milby and Roemer soils have loamy control sections. Straber soils have an A horizon less than 20 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fordtran soils are on nearly level to gently sloping coastal prairies. Slope gradients are mainly less than 2 percent, but range up to 5 percent along natural drains. The soils formed in thick beds of unconsolidated sandy and loamy sediments of Pleistocene age. The mean annual temperatures are about 70 degrees to 72 degrees F., average annual precipitation of 32 to 44 inches, and Thornthwaite P-E indices of 44 to 64. Elevation ranges from 50 to 150 feet and frost free period is 260 to 290 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Cieno, Dacosta, Edna, Garcitas, Lake Charles, Nada, and Telferner soils. Cieno, Dacosta, Edna, Nada and Telferner soils have loamy surface layers less than 20 inches thick and are on slightly lower positions. Garcitas soils have gravelly or very gravelly surface layers and are above on knolls or low ridges. Lake Charles soils are clayey throughout and are on slightly lower positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes, low on 1 to 3 percent slopes and medium on 3 to 5 percent slopes. Water perches on top of the argillic horizon for periods of 1 to 2 weeks following extended heavy rains. During wet years planting may be delayed for short periods.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for native rangeland. A small acreage is used for growing corn, grain sorghums, peanuts, melons, rice, and improved bermudagrass pastures. Native vegetation is tall and midgrasses such as andropogons and paspalums. Running live oak has encroached in places.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Prairies of Texas, mainly between the Colorado and Guadalupe Rivers. The series is moderately extensive, comprising about 50,000 acres.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Calhoun County, Texas; 1972.
REMARKS: The classification is changed from Arenic Albaqualfs to Aquic Arenic Hapludalfs based on the soil moisture study "ISCOM VIII, Classification and Management of Wet Soils, 1990." This soil does not have an aquic moisture regime. Mineralogy is also changed from mixed to montmorillonitic based on data from similar associated soils.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 28 inches. (A and Eg horizons)
Albic horizon - 16 to 28 inches. (Eg horizon, not required).
Argillic horizon - 28 to 80 inches. (Bt horizons)
Redoximorphic features - masses of iron accumulation in the Bt horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Highway Department Lab data on one pedon from Jackson County, TX (THD84TX-239-5).