LOCATION LAKE CHARLES TX+AREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Typic Hapluderts
TYPICAL PEDON: Lake Charles clay--pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 8 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate very fine blocky and subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common fine roots: few fine iron-manganese concretions; slightly acid; diffuse wavy boundary.
A2--8 to 20 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine blocky and subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common fine roots: common pressure faces; few fine iron-manganese concretions; slightly acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (combined A subhorizons are 10 to 30 inches thick)
Bss1--20 to 35 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; common fine roots: common fine and medium pores; common prominent slickensides; many pressure faces; few fine iron-manganese concretions; slightly acid; diffuse wavy boundary.
Bss2--35 to 50 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores; common fine and medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redox concentrations, few fine prominent red redox concentrations; common prominent slickensides; many pressure faces; few fine iron-manganese concretions; neutral; diffuse wavy boundary.
Bss3--50 to 70 inches; gray (2.5Y 5/1) clay, light gray (2.5Y 6/1) dry; weak fine and medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine and medium pores; few fine distinct yellowish brown redox concentrations; common pressure faces; common prominent slickensides; few fine iron-manganese concretions; few fine pitted calcium carbonate concretions; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (combined Bss subhorizons are 40 to 70 inches thick)
2C--70 to 80 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay; few vertical streaks of gray (2.5Y 5/1); massive; very hard, very firm; few fine pitted calcium carbonate concretions; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Ft. Bend County, Texas: From the intersection of U.S. Highway 90A and Texas Highway 36 in Rosenburg, 9.8 miles west on U.S. Highway 90A to Taverner, 1.25 miles north on Farm Road 1952 to intersection, 120 feet southeast in microdepression. (Latitude 29N, 33, 30; Longitude 95W, 57, 20)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. Weighted average clay content of the particle-size control section ranges from 45 to 60 percent and contains more than 28 percent silt. This is a cyclic soil and undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microknolls 6 to 15 inches higher than microdepressions. Distance from the center of the microknoll to the center of the microdepression ranges from 4 to 16 feet. The microknoll makes up about 20 percent, the intermediate or area between the knoll and depression about 60 percent, and the microdepression about 20 percent or less. The amplitude of waviness between mollic colored matrix in the upper part of the solum and the higher value colors in the lower part ranges from 30 to 60 inches. When dry, the soil has cracks 1/2 to 2 inches wide at the surface and extend to a depth of 12 inches or more. Cracks remain open for 60 to 90 cumulative days in most years. Slickensides begin at a depth of 10 to 20 inches and extend throughout the solum. The angle of the slickenside ranges from about 10 to 65 degrees from horizontal and tend to be more vertical in microknolls than in microdepressions. Iron-manganese concretions, mainly less than 1/4 inch in diameter, range from none to few throughout, and are mainly in the lower part of the solum.
The A horizon has colors with hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or less. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The upper part of the Bss horizon has colors with hue 10YR to 5Y, value 3 to 5 and chroma of 1. Pitted concretions of calcium carbonate range from none to few. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The lower part of the Bss horizon has colors with hue 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1. Redox concentrations in shades of red, brown, or yellow range from none to common. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. The matrix ranges from noneffervescent to strongly effervescent. Pitted concretions of calcium carbonate range from none to common.
A 2C horizon is present in some pedons at a depth of 60 to more than 80 inches. Colors are in shades of red, brown or gray and some pedons contain redox concentrations of various hues. Texture is clay or clay loam. Some pedons contain few mica flakes in the lower part.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Francitas, Ganado, and Laewest series in the same family, and the similar League, and Pledger series. Francitas soils have SAR of more than 15 within 40 inches. Ganado soils have mollic colors to a depth greater than 40 inches and are on floodplains. Laewest soils have more amplitude of waviness and are dry in the moisture control section for slightly longer periods. League soils are classified as Dystruderts and are somewhat poorly drained. Pledger soils have a very-fine particle-size control section and have chroma of 2 or more in the Bss horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lake Charles soils are on broad, nearly level areas or narrow moderately sloping areas along side slopes of drainageways. Slopes are plane, and gradients are mainly less than 1 percent but range to 8 percent. The soil formed in clayey flood basin deposits on alluvial plains or deltas of the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene Age. Mean annual precipitation is 44 to 50 inches and is evenly distributed throughout the year. Mean annual temperature is 70 to 72 degrees F. Frost free days range from 270 to 290 and elevation ranges from 10 to 100 feet above sea level. Thornthwaite annual P-E indices ranges from 60 to 70.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Francitas and Pledger soils and Bacliff, Bernard, Edna, Midland, Morey, and Verland series. Bacliff, Bernard, Edna, Midland, and Morey soils are on similar landscapes. Bacliff soils have moist values of 4 or more within a depth of 12 inches. Edna, Midland and Verland soils do not have a mollic epipedon and have argillic horizons. Bernard soils have argillic horizons. Morey soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section. Francitas soils are on similar to slightly lower positions and occur mainly at elevations less than 50 feet above sea level. Pledger soils are on lower floodplains positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is very slow. Water enters the soil rapidly when cracked, but very slow when wet and cracks are closed. Runoff is low on 0 to 1 percent slopes, medium on 1 to 3 percent slopes, high on 3 to 5 percent slopes, and very high on 5 to 8 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly in cultivation and native pasture. Crops are corn, cotton, rice, and grain sorghum. Native grasses include little bluestem, indiangrass, eastern gamagrass, switchgrass, big bluestem, and brownseed paspalum. Most areas have scattered live oak, water oak, elm, hackberry, and huisache trees. Pine trees have encroached in some areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Coast Prairies of Texas (MLRA 150A) between the Colorado and Trinity Rivers of Texas. The series is extensive with a total area of 600,000 acres.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana; 1901.
REMARKS: Classification changed from thermic Typic Pelluderts to hyperthermic Typic Hapluderts 3/94 based on Amendment 16 to Soil Taxonomy. Temperature regime changed based on local data and study by Texas Agriculture Experiment Station.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: From a depth of 0 to 35 inches (Ap, Bss1)
Cambic horizon: From a depth of 20 to 70 inches (Bss1, Bss2, Bss3)
Vertisol feature: Slickensides and cracks that open and close one or more times a year and remain open for less than 90 cumulative days in most years.
ADDITIONAL DATA: G. W. Kunze, H. Oakes, and M. E. Bloodworth, Grumusols of the Coast Prairie of Texas. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, Vol. 27, No. 4, July-August, 1963. National Soil Survey Laboratory: S76TX-39-1, S76TX-39-2, S76TX-39-3, S76TX-39-4. SSIR-30; S55TX-79-94, S55TX-101-90, S55TX-235-90, S55TX-241-90.
Soil Interpretation Record Number: TX0020.