LOCATION LETON TX+LAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, siliceous, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Glossaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Leton loam--pasture.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 6 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine discontinuous pores; few lenses of uncoated sand grains less than 0.5 mm wide on surface of peds; few fine black concretions; few yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) organic stains along root channels; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Eg--6 to 23 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) loam, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine pores; few lenses of uncoated sand grains less than 0.5 mm wide on surfaces of peds; few fine black concretions; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation with clear and sharp boundaries in matrix; common medium faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions with diffuse and clear boundaries in matrix; few yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) organic stains along along root channels; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 23 inches thick)
Bt/E--23 to 29 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam (Bt) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam (E); weak medium subangular blocky structure; clay loam is very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; loam is hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on surfaces of peds; 25 percent albic material 2 inches wide of gray (10YR 5/1) loam (E); few fine black concretions; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation with clear boundaries in matrix; common medium faint gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions with diffuse boundaries in matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
Btg1--29 to 50 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay loam; weak fine blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; few lenses of uncoated sand grains on surfaces of peds; few crayfish krotovina; few fine black concretions; common medium and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation with clear and sharp boundaries in matrix; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 36 inches thick)
Btg2--50 to 80 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay loam; weaky fine blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common medium and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in matrix; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Brazoria County, Texas; about 10 miles northeast of Angleton from community of Liverpool; 1.8 miles southeast on county road; 2.3 miles southwest on county road; 3.4 miles south on canal road; 200 feet north-northwest in pasture.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 80 inches. The soil has more than 10 percent sand throughout the solum of which nearly all is very fine. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral in the A and E horizons, strongly acid to slightly alkaline in the B/E horizons and strongly acid to moderately alkaline in the Btg horizon.
The A and E horizons range from 10 to 30 inches thick. The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam. Redoximorphic features (iron accumulations or iron depletions) range from none to common in shades of brown or gray. Brown organic stains are present in many pedons. Many pedons have few albic materials as uncoated sand grains less than 0.5 mm wide.
The Bt/E horizon is silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam in the E part and loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam in the B part. Weighted average clay content of the upper 20 inches is 18 to 35 percent, with less than 15 percent fine and coarse sand. The E part occurs as albic material that penetrates the Bt to a depth of 35 inches and makes up 15 to 40 percent of the horizon. Color has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2. The Bt/E has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features range from few to common, in shades of brown and gray.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features range from few to common in shades of brown, yellow, or gray. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the Aris, Basile, Bissonnet, Caddo, Calhoun, Fountain, Frost, Mollville, and Waller series. Aris soils have a fine particle-size control section. Basile soils contain calcium carbonate concretions in the lower B horizon. Bissonnet and Caddo are in the thermic temperature regime. Calhoun and Fountain soils formed from loess and contain less than 10 percent total sand. Frost soils have dark coatings on surfaces of peds in the B horizon and typically are in forests. Mollville and Waller soils contain more than 15 percent by volume fine and coarser sand.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Leton soils are in stream meander depressions of the coastal prairie. Slopes are mainly less than 0.5 percent but range to 1 percent along narrow drainageways. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 44 to 50 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 70 to 72 degrees F. Frost-free days range from 250 to 280. Thornthwaite annual P-E index ranges 62 to 66.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the similar Aris series and Algoa, Anahuac, Beaumont, Bernard, China, Crowley, Edna, Kemah, League, Mocarey, and Morey series. Aris soils are on slightly higher in the landscape. Algoa, Anahuac, Bernard, Mocarey and Morey soils have a mollic epipedon and are on slightly higher areas. Beaumont, China, and League soils are on nearby areas and are clayey throughout. Crowley, Edna and Kemah soils have a clayey argillic horizon and are on slightly higher landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Leton soils are poorly drained. Permeability is slow. Runoff is very low or ponded.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly as pasture but also for the production of rice, and grain sorghum. Native grasses are mainly eastern gamagrass and sedges, species of panicums, and paspalum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coastal Prairie of Southeast Texas (MLRA 150A). The series is of minor extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brazoria County, Texas; 1978.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in Frost soils.
Diagnositc horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 6 inches (A and Eg horizons)
Argillic horizon -- 23 to 50 inches (Bt/E and Btg horizons)
Glossic horizon -- More than 15 percent by volume albic material in the argillic (Bt/E horizon).
Aquic moisture regime -- saturated and reduced for some period of time in most years.
SOIL INTERPRETATION RECORD NUMBER: TX0828