LOCATION VITERBO            TX

VITERBO SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Chromic Vertic Epiaqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Viterbo silty clay loam--cropland.
(Colors for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; common fine roots; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) stains along roots; few wormcasts; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

Btg1--7 to 17 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; common fine roots; few fine pores; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) iron accumulations; few distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films; 10 percent crawfish krotovina; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)

Btg2--17 to 35 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron accumulations; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) stains along roots; few pressure faces; few distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films; 10 percent crawfish krotovina; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 35 inches thick)

Btssg1--35 to 65 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) iron accumulations; common distinct slickensides; few distinct clay films; 10 percent crawfish krotovina; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Btssg2--65 to 80 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron accumulations; common distinct slickensides; few crawfish krotovina; strongly acid. (Combined thickness of the Btssg horizons is 20 to 55 inches)

TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Texas; from the intersection of Interstate Highway 10 and U.S. Highways 69, 96, and 287 in southwest Beaumont; 3.6 miles east on U.S. Highways 69, 96, and 287; 3.1 miles southeast on the West Port Arthur Road; 0.5 mile east on FM 517; 600 feet south of road and 200 feet east of canal. (Latitude 29N, 59, 21; Longitude 94W, 03, 28)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 80 inches. The particle-size control section ranges from 35 to 50 percent clay and 25 to 45 percent silt. Depth to slickensides ranges from 30 to 45 inches. This soil has aquic conditions in most years.

The Ap or A horizon has colors with hue 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations and stains in shades of red, yellow, and brown range from few to many. Combined thickness of the A and Ap horizons is 4 to 15 inches and the texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.

The Btg horizons have colors with hue 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow, and brown range from few to many. The texture is silty clay loam or silty clay. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.

The Btssg horizons have colors with hue 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow, and brown range from few to many. The texture is silty clay or clay. In less than half of some pedons a few pitted calcium carbonate concretions are present. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the Aris, Beaumont, Bacliff, Meaton and Verland series. Beaumont and Bacliff soils are Vertisols. Aris soils have a glossic horizon. Meaton soils have a mollic epipedon. Verland soils do not have aquic conditions in most years and are less acid throughout.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Viterbo soils are on nearly level uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. These soils are on the Coast Prairie east of the Trinity River. They formed in loamy and clayey sediments of the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene age. Mean annual temperature ranges from 70 to 72 degrees F. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 50 to 60 inches. Frost free days range from 250 to 270. Elevation ranges from 5 to 35 feet above sea level. Thornthwaite P-E index ranges from 68 to 80.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Aris, Beaumont, and Meaton soils and the China, League, Labelle, Levac, and Morey soils. China and League soils are Vertisols and are higher in the landscape. Labelle and Morey soils have a mollic epipedon and are higher in the landscape. Levac soils are higher in the landscape and do not have aquic conditions in most years. Aris soils are on similar landscapes. Meaton soils occur on adjacent broad areas less than 7 feet above sea level.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Viterbo soils are somewhat poorly drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is low. These soils have aquic conditions in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for pasture or rice production. Native grasses include species of andropogon, paspalum and panicum. In some areas pine and hardwood trees have encroached. During the idle rotation of rice growing a dense stand of tallow trees encroach in some areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Gulf Coast Prairie (MLRA 150A) of southeast Texas and possibly Louisiana. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Texas; 1996. The name comes from a small community.

REMARKS: The Viterbo series was previously included with the Verland series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches (A horizon).

Argillic horizon - 7 to 80 inches (Btg and Btssg horizons).

Vertic feature - Slickensides at a depth of 35 to 80 inches (Btssg horizons.

Aquic feature - redoximorphic features throughout the pedon and aquic conditions in the upper part of the pedon in most years.

SOIL INTERPRETATION RECORD NUMBER: TX1007