LOCATION BARNETT TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, nonacid, hyperthermic Vertic Fluvaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Barnett mucky peat--rangeland. (colors are for moist soil conditions)
Oe--0 to 2 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mucky peat; massive; about 75 percent fiber, 20 percent rubbed; very fluid, flows easily between fingers leaving mainly roots in hand (n value =1); many fine to coarse roots; slightly saline; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A--2 to 6 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; many fine roots; moderately saline; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bg1--6 to 12 inches; gray (N 5/0) clay, gray (10YR 5/1) upon exposure to air; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; many fine roots; common fine and medium prominent brown (10YR 4/3) iron concentrations with diffuse boundaries on surface of peds; few fine salt crystals; moderately saline; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bg2--12 to 22 inches; gray (N 5/0) clay, gray (10YR 5/1) upon exposure to air; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine and medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron concentrations with diffuse boundaries in ped interiors and few fine faint gray (N 6/0) redox depletions on surface of peds; strongly saline; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bg horizons is 10 to 30 inches thick)
Cg1--22 to 42 inches; gray (N 5/0) mucky clay, gray (2.5Y 5/1) upon exposure to air; common vertical seams of gray (N 6/0); slightly fluid, flows with difficulty between fingers leaving residue in hand (n value >0.7); few fine roots; common fine and medium faint dark gray (N 4/0) and common fine prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) redox features with diffuse boundaries in clusters; strongly saline; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Cg2--42 to 65 inches; coarsely stratified very dark gray (10YR 3/1), dark gray (10YR 4/1), gray (10YR 6/1), and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mucky clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) upon exposure to air; moderately fluid, flows between fingers leaving residue in hand (n value >1.0); common fine distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron concentrations with diffuse boundaries; strongly saline; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Cg3--65 to 80 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mucky clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) upon exposure to air; moderately fluid, flows between fingers leaving residue in hand (n value >1.0); common fine prominent light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions; strongly saline; neutral. (combined thickness of the Cg horizon is 40 to 60 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Texas; from intersection of Farm Road 3322 and Texas Highway 87 in Sabine Pass; 13.75 miles southwest on Texas Highway 87; 0.8 mile north on private road; 30 feet west in rangeland. (Latitude: 29N, 40, 10; Longitude: 94W, 06, 15)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to layers more than 4 inches thick with n-value of more than 0.7 is 20 to 40 inches. These soils have aquic soil conditions throughout in most years. An overwash phase is recognized. The overwash phase has a fine sandy loam, loam, or silty clay loam surface layer 6 to 20 inches thick.
The O horizon has neutral colors with value of 3 or 4 or has colors with hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1. The n-value is more than 0.7. The electrical conductivity ranges from 2 to 8 dS/m. The reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The A horizon has neutral colors with value of 4 or 5 or has colors with hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1. The n-value is less than 0.7. Texture is clay loam or clay. Electrical conductivity ranges from 2 to 12 dS/m. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bg horizon has neutral colors with value of 5 or 6 or has colors with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1. Few to common redoximorphic features are in shades of brown or gray. The n-value is less than 0.7. Electrical conductivity ranges from 4 to 16 dS/m. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Cg horizon has neutral colors with value of 3 to 7 or has colors with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 7, and chroma of 1. Few to common redoximorphic features, mainly in masses, are in shades of brown or gray. The n-value ranges from 0.7 to 1.0 in the upper part and ranges to 1.5 in the lower part in some pedons. Electrical conductivity ranges from 8 to 16 dS/m. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are Bancker, Creole, Gentilly, Harris, and Placedo series. Bancker, Creole, and Gentilly soils are Hydraquents that have n-value of 0.7 or more in the upper 20 inches. Harris and Placedo soils have n-value less than 0.7.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Barnett soils are in nearly level coastal, brackish to saline, marshes. Gulf storms and abnormally high tides frequently flood most areas. The soils formed in saline, clayey sediments. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 60 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 70 to 72 degrees F. Elevation ranges from 0 to 5 feet above sea level. Frost-free days range from 270 to 300. The Thornthwaite P-E index is 62 to 82.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Bancker, Creole, Gentilly, and Harris soils, and also Ijam, Neel, and Veston soils. Bancker, Creole, Gentilly soils are slightly lower in the landscape. Harris soils are on the same or slightly lower positions. Ijam, Neel, and Veston soils are higher in the landscape and have n-values of less than 0.7 throughout. Veston soils also have a loamy particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is low. An apparent water table fluctuates from the soil surface to a depth of about 20 inches throughout the year. These soils are frequently flooded by high tides or Gulf storms.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is hydrophytic and salt tolerant grasses generally dominated by marshhay cordgrass, seashore saltgrass, seashore paspalum, bushy seaoxeye, and bulrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Texas and possibly Louisiana in the Gulf Coast Marsh (MLRA 151). The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Texas; 1996
REMARKS: This soil was formerly included with the Harris series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon -- 2 to 6 inches (A hoizon).
Aquic soil conditions -- 0 to 80 inches in most years.
n-value of 0.7 or more -- 22 to 80 inches (Cg1, Cg2, and Cg3 horizons).
Reduced matrix -- 6 to 80 inches (Bg1, Bg2, Cg1, Cg2, and Cg3 horizons).
Vertic feature -- Potential linear extensibility of 6.0 cm or more.
Fluventic feature -- have irregular decrease from 10 to 50 inches or more
than 0.2 percent organic carbon at 50 inches below the surface.
ADDITIONAL DATA: none.
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999.