LOCATION BRANYON                 TX

Established Series
Rev. ELG-RMR-RM
08/2017

BRANYON SERIES

The Branyon series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in calcareous clayey alluvium derived from mudstone of Pleistocene age. These nearly level to very gently sloping soils occur on treads of stream terraces on river valleys. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 903 mm (35.6 in) and the mean annual air temperature is about 19.9 degrees C (67.9 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Udic Haplusterts

TYPICAL PEDON: Branyon clay, on a west-facing, zero percent slope in cropland at an elevation of 168 m (551 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).

Ap--0 to 10 cm, (0 to 4 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1), moist; moderate fine granular structure; extremely hard, very firm, , moderately sticky, moderately plastic; fine roots throughout; 1 percent fine faint spherical weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions in matrix; slight effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (Thickness of the A horizon is 13 to 61 cm [5 to 24 in])

Bk--10 to 31 cm, (4 to 12 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1), moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; fine roots throughout; very fine tubular pores; 15 percent faint pressure faces on all faces of peds; 1 percent fine spherical weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions in matrix; 1 percent fine prominent irregular very weakly cemented white (10YR 8/1) carbonate concretions in matrix; strong effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness of the Bk horizon is 0 to 30 cm [0 to 12 in])

Bkss1--31 to 112 cm, (12 to 44 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1), moist; moderate medium wedge structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; fine roots throughout; fine tubular pores; 55 percent distinct slickensides (pedogenic) on all faces of peds; 1 percent fine spherical weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions in matrix; 1 percent fine prominent irregular very weakly cemented white (10YR 8/1) carbonate concretions in matrix; strong effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bkss2--112 to 183 cm, (44 to 72 in); gray (10YR 5/1) clay, 3 percent very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and dark gray (10YR 4/1), moist; moderate medium wedge structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; fine roots throughout; very fine tubular pores; 55 percent distinct slickensides (pedogenic) on all faces of peds; 1 percent fine spherical weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions in matrix; 1 percent fine prominent irregular very weakly cemented white (10YR 8/1) carbonate concretions in matrix; strong effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bkss horizon(s) is 15 to 127 cm [6 to 50 in])

Bkss3--183 to 203 cm, (72 to 80 in); light gray (10YR 7/2) clay, 3 percent very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), moist; moderate medium wedge structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; 30 percent distinct slickensides (pedogenic) on all faces of peds; 1 percent fine spherical weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions in matrix and 1 percent medium faint irregular brown (10YR 5/3), moist, iron-manganese masses with clear boundaries in matrix; 1 percent fine prominent irregular very weakly cemented white (10YR 8/1) carbonate concretions in matrix and 1 percent fine prominent irregular carbonate masses with clear boundaries in matrix; strong effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Caldwell County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highway 80 and 142 in Martindale, approximately 3.0 miles northeast on Texas Highway 142, 0.3 mile northwest, 0.6 mile southwest and 0.5 mile northwest on county road, 2,500 ft southwest in cropland.
USGS topographic quadrangle:
Latitude, 29 degrees, 52 minutes, 19.188 seconds N;
Longitude, 97 degrees, 49 minutes, 31.365 seconds W.
Datum: WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Solum depth: greater than 203 cm (80 in)
Soil moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 90 days but less than 150 cumulative days in normal years.
Depth to slickensides: 13 to 81 cm (5 to 32 in)
Depth to cambic horizon: 10 to 61 cm (4 to 24 in)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonates: 0 to 147 cm (0 to 58 in)
Depth to calcic horizon: 160 to 163 cm (63 to 64 in)
Depth to redox concentrations: 0 to 188 cm (0 to 74 in)
Iron-manganese concentrations: amount-0 to 1 percent, size-fine, kind-concretions
Vertic features: When dry, cracks 2.5 to 8 cm (1 to 3 in) wide extend from the surface to depths of 51 cm (20 in) or more. Cracks remain open for 90 to 150 days in most years.

Partcle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent

A or Ap horizon(s)
Hue: 10YR dry or moist
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay, clay
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 1 percent, size-fine, contrast-distinct, locations-in matrix
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bw (where present) or Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR dry or moist
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay, clay
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 1 percent, size-fine, contrast-distinct, locations-in matrix
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bss horizon, where present
Hue: 10YR dry or moist
Value: 2 to 5 dry or moist
Chroma: 1 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay, clay
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 1 percent, size-fine, contrast-distinct, locations-in matrix
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bkss, BCkss or BCk horizon(s), where present
Hue: 10YR to 5Y dry or moist
Value: 3 to 7, 2 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay, clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent; 2 to 3 mm; limestone or quartzite
Redox concentrations: amount-1 to 20 percent, size-fine and medium, contrast-distinct, locations-in matrix
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 35 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bleiblerville, Burleson, Clarita, Deport, Dimebox, Ellis, Fairlie, Heiden, Houston Black, Lazare, Leson, Luling, McLean, Ovan, Sanger, Slidell, Sparanberg, and Watonga series.

Bleiberville and Houston Black soils: greater amplitude of waviness
Burleson, Dimebox, Leson, and Luling soils: non-calcareous in surface layers
Clarita soils: matrix with hue of 7.5YR or redder in the subsoil
Deport soils: deep 100 to 150 cm (40 to 60 in) solum depth to alkaline clayey materials stratified, with weakly consolidated shale.
Ellis soils: moderately deep 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in) solum depth to weathered shale
Fairlie soils: deep 100 to 150 cm (40 to 60 in) soil depth to a paralithic contact to chalk bedrock
Heiden soils: matrix with chroma of 2 or more throughout and solum thickness of 100 to 165 cm (40 to 65 in) to weakly consolidated shale or mudstone
Lazare soils: receive runoff from surrounding uplands and the soil moisture control section is moist for longer periods of time than is normal for the climate of the series province
McLean and Sparanberg soils: mean annual air temperature (MAAT) less than 18 degrees C (63 degrees F), mean annual precipitation less than 711 mm (28 in), and a frost-free period less than 220 days
Ovan and Sanger soils: matrix with chroma greater than 2 throughout
Slidell soils: calcium carbonate equivalent of 40 to 60 percent in some parts of the particle-size control section
Watonga soils: solum thickness of 100 to 152 cm (38 to 60 in) to calcareous clayey and loamy alluvium

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous clayey alluvium derived from mudstone of Pleistocene age
Landscape: dissected plains, river valley
Landform: treads on stream terraces
Slope: 0 to 3 percent, mostly less than 0.5 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 711 to 1016 mm (28 to 40 in)
Mean annual air temperature: 18.3 to 21.1 degrees C (65 to 70 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 220 to 288 days
Elevation: 87 to 319 m (285 to 1046 ft)
Thornthwaite P-E indices: 44 to 64

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Burleson, Houston Black, Lewisville, and Tinn series.

Burleson soils: on similar positions
Houston Black soils: on adjoining higher upland positions
Lewisville soils: in the fine-silty family
Tinn soils: moist in the moisture control section for longer periods, and are in slightly lower flood plain positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Moderately well.
Permeability class: Very slow.
Runoff: high on slopes less than 1 percent and very high 1 to 3 percent.
Water enters the soil rapidly when it is dry and cracked and very slowly when it is moist.

USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all is cropped to cotton, sorghums, corn, oats, and wheat. Native vegetation consists of little and big bluestems, indiangrass, switchgrass, sideoats grama, with scattered elm, bois'd'arc, and hackberry trees. Mesquite is an invader in most areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Land Resource Region J - Southwestern Prairies Cotton and Forage Region. Central Texas. Texas Blackland Prairies (MLRAs 86 A and 86B). The series is of large extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bell County, Texas; 1972.

REMARKS: Classification change from Udic Pellusterts to Udic Haplusterts based on Amendment 16, SOIL TAXONOMY (2/94).

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 112 cm (0 to 44 in) (Ap, Bk, and Bkss horizons)
Redox concentrations: 0 to 203 cm (0 to 80 in). (All horizons)
Cambic horizon: 10 to 31 cm (4 to 12 in). (Bk horizon)
Secondary carbonates: 10 to 203 cm (4 to 80 in). (Bk and Bkss horizons)
Slickensides: 31 to 203 cm (12 to 80 in). (Bkss horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: Texas A&M University data from Lavaca County (S83TX-285-01)

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.