LOCATION WALLER TX+LAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Typic Glossaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Waller loam--forest
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam; massive; very hard, friable; many fine roots; few fine soft black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese masses; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Eg--4 to 34 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam; massive; very hard, friable; few fine roots flattened along surfaces of peds; 30 percent crayfish krotovinas; crayfish krotovinas have black stains of organic matter along sides and are filled with very fine sand and silt; 15 percent fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron concentrations with diffuse boundaries along roots and in pores; very strongly acid; gradual irregular boundary. (14 to 32 inches thick)
Btg/Eg1--34 to 53 inches; 70 percent gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam; 30 percent light gray (10YR 7/1)(Eg); weak prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse blocky; very hard, firm; few fine roots that are flattened along the surfaces of peds; few distinct clay films on the surfaces of peds; few silt coatings of surfaces of prisms; 20 percent crayfish krotovinas coated with clay films up to about 1 mm thick; 2 percent fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese masses; 25 percent medium and coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron concentrations with diffuse boundaries; Eg consist of tongues of silt loam and loam; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (11 to 30 inches thick)
Btg/Eg2--53 to 80 inches; 80 percent gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam; 20 percent light gray (10YR 7/1)(Eg);; weak blocky structure; firm, very hard; few distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; few fine gypsum crystals in the lower part; 20 percent crayfish krotovinas filled with silt loam and having walls lined with clay; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese masses; 25 percent medium and coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron concentrations with clear and diffuse boundaries; Eg consists of tongues of silt loam; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Montgomery County, Texas; from the intersection of Farm Road 2090 and U.S. 59 in Splendora; 8.44 miles west on Farm Road 2090; 100 feet north in forest.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum is more than 80 inches. Crayfish krotovinas range from 20 to 40 percent in the upper 100 centimeters. The particle-size control section contains 18 to 30 percent clay, 20 to 40 percent silt, and more than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand. CEC to clay ratio ranges from .40 to .50. The combined combined thickness of the A and Eg horizons ranges from 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam. Iron-manganese masses range from 0 to 4 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The Eg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam. Iron concentrations in shades of brown and yellow range from 5 to 20 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through moderately acid.
The Btg part of the Btg/E horizons has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam. The Eg part has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7, and chroma of 1 or 2 and consists of tongues, streaks, and pockets of silt loam, loam, and very fine sandy loam. The E part is 2 to 10 cm wide, are spaced about 15 to 20 cm apart, and taper to 1 to 5 cm wide in lower part of the horizon. The E part makes up 15 to 35 percent of the horizon. Gypsum crystals range from none to common. The peds (Bt part) contain iron concentrations in shades of yellow and brown, range from 10 to 25 percent, and are in the interior of peds. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Colita, Mollco, Mollville, Lelavale, and Vimville series in the same family, and the Caddo, Clodine, Evadale, Gessner, Guyton, Ozan, Sorter, and Wrightsville series. Colita soils are deep to paralithic contact of tuffaceous siltstone or shale. Mollville and Vimville soils have A and E horizons less than 20 inches thick. Caddo, Calhoun, and Guyton soils are in a fine-silty family. Mollco and Lelavale soils are very poorly drained. Sorter soils are in a coarse-loamy family and are Vermaqualfs. Evadale and Wrightsville soils have a clayey particle-size control section. Gessner and Ozan soils are in a coarse-loamy family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Waller soils occupy nearly level areas on uplands This soil formed in loamy sediments of the Lissie Formation of early to mid Pleistocene age Mean annual precipitation is 48 to 60 inches. Mean annual temperature is 67 to 69 degrees F. Frost free days range from 240 to 270 days. Elevation is 50 to 175 feet. The Thornthwaite P-E index is 68 to 80.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dallardsville, Kirbyville, Kountze, Plank, Segno, Sorter, and Splendora series. Dallardsville, Kirbyville, and Kountze soils are moderately well drained and on higher landscape position. Plank soils have a coarse-silty particle-size control section and are on similar landscape position. Segno and Splendora soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and are on higher landscape positions. Sorter soils have coarse-loamy family and are on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Waller soils are poorly drained. Runoff is negligible. Permeability is slow. This soil remains saturated throughout from late November to March in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in forest. A few areas have been cleared for pasture. Timber consists mostly a mix of hardwoods and pine. Hardwoods include water and willow oak, sweetgum, and persimmon. Pine species include loblolly and slash.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Western Gulf Coast Flatwoods (MLRA 152B) of southeast Texas and possibly Louisiana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Waller County, Texas; 1948.
REMARKS: Based on Lincoln Soil Survey Laboratory Data of closely associated soils, the mineralogy class was changed from mixed to siliceous. See Dr. Grossman's memo dated September 14, 1972, SOILS - Harris County, Texas, in reference to the Hockley and Wockley series. Study and Thesis by M. Vepraskas (TAMU) shows E horizon is slowly permeable. The Lelavale series was established in 1998 in Hardin County, Texas to separate the very poorly drained Waller, depressional unit from the Waller series.
Diagnostic horizons and features for this pedon are:
Ochric epipedo--0 to 34 inches (A and Eg horizon)
Argillic horizon--34 to 80 inches (Btg/Eg horizon)
Glossic horizon--34 to 80 inches (Btg/Eg horizon)
Aquic moisture regime--This soil remains saturated with aquic conditions with chroma of 2 or less throughout the pedon from late November to March in most years.