LOCATION LABELLE TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Oxyaquic Vertic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Labelle silt loam--cropland.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine roots; few fine pores; few medium faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) iron accumulations with diffuse boundaries; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; hard, very firm; common fine roots; few fine pores; common medium distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) iron accumulations with clear boundaries; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--12 to 18 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; few fine distinct dark brown (10YR 4/3) and fine prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron accumulations with clear boundaries; few pressure faces; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--18 to 30 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron accumulations with clear boundaries; common pressure faces; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 15 to 40 inches)
Btssg1--30 to 50 inches; gray (2.5Y 5/1) silty clay; moderate fine angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; common medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) iron accumulations with clear boundaries; few prominent slickensides; common pressure faces; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Btssg2--50 to 80 inches; gray (2.5Y 6/1) silty clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; common medium light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) iron accumulations with clear boundaries; few prominent slickensides; common pressure faces; few fine calcium carbonate concretions; few iron-manganese concretions less than 3 mm in diameter; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Btssg horizons is 40 to 60 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Texas; from the intersection of U. S. Highway 90 and Farm Road 364 on the west side of Beaumont; 8 miles west on U. S. Highway 90; 0.75 miles north on county road; 0.5 mile west and 0.65 miles north on farm road; 75 feet east in field. (Latitude 30N, 04, 28; Longitude 94W, 18, 09)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is greater than 80 inches. Weighted average clay content of the particle-size control section ranges from 35 to 45 percent. The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 24 inches thick. The soil is usually moist, but during the summer of some years cracks 1/2 to 1 inch wide extend to a depth greater than 20 inches. Depth to wedge-shaped peds and slickensides ranges from 20 to 30 inches. Linear extensibility ranges from 6.0 to 8.0 cm in the upper 40 inches of the soil. The surface layer is saturated 30 to 40 days mainly during late winter and early spring. Redox features are considered both contemporary and relic. This soil does not have aquic conditions in most years in the upper 40 inches.
The Ap or A horizon has color with hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations range from few to common in shades of brown or yellow. Texture is silt loam. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has color with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 in the upper part but ranges to a value of 5 in the lower part. Redox features range from few to many in shades of yellow, gray and brown. Texture is silty clay or clay. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The Btssg horizon has neutral color with value of 6 or 7 or has color with hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 6 or 7, and chroma of 1. Redox features range from common to many in shades of brown, yellow or gray. Texture is silty clay or clay. Slickensides and wedge-shaped peds are few to common. Few to common iron-manganese concretions are present in most pedons. The lower part of most pedons have few to common pitted calcium carbonate concretions. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the Bernard, Morey, and Viterbo series. Bernard soils are not saturated for short periods of time. Morey soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section. Viterbo soils have a ochric epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Labelle soils occupy plane to slightly convex, nearly level uplands. These soils are on the broad Coastal Prairie east of the Trinity River. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. The soil formed in clayey and loamy sediments of the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene Age. Mean annual precipitation is 50 to 60 inches. The mean annual temperature is 70 to 72 degrees F. Frost free days range from 250 to 270. Elevation ranges from 8 to 40 feet. The Thornthwaite P-E index is 68 to 80.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Morey and Viterbo soils and the Anahuac, Beaumont, China, League, Levac, and Spindletop soils. Anahuac soils are slightly higher in the landscape on meanderbelt ridges, and have very fine sandy loam surface layers 20 to 40 inches thick. The China, League, and Beaumont soils are vertisols. China and League soils are on about the same or slightly lower positions in the landscape. Beaumont and Viterbo soils are lower in the landscape and have aquic soil conditions. Morey and Levac soils are on the same position as Labelle soils. Levac soils have a ochric epipedon. Spindletop soils have silt loam surface layers 15 to 30 inches thick and are on mounds in a complex with Labelle soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Labelle soils are somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is low. Permeability is very slow. These soils are saturated from 12 to about 24 inches below the soil surface a for period of 30 days or more in most years. In 2 to 4 years out of 10, these soils have aquic conditions in the A horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland and pasture. Cropland is mostly in rice production. Pastures are bahiagrass or bermudagrass. Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses, mainly andropogons, panicum, and paspalums.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Gulf Coast Prairie (MLRA 150A) of southeast Texas and possibly Lousiana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Texas; 1996.
REMARKS: The Labelle soils were formerly included with the Bernard and Morey series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 18 inches (Ap, Bt1, and Bt2).
Argillic horizon - 6 to 80 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Btssg1, and Btssg2).
Vertic features - Slickensides at a depth of 30 to 80 inches and COLE of 6 cm or more in the upper 40 inches of the soil.
Oxaquic feature - Are saturated in the subsurface layer for 30 or more days in most years. In 2 to 4 years out of 10 these soils have aquic conditions.
SOIL INTERPRETATION RECORD NUMBER: TX1292