LOCATION COLITA TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Typic Glossaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Colita fine sandy loam in woodland.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam; weak, medium granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; few black stains; many medium faint yellow (10YR 7/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
A2--5 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy very fine sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; many clean sand grains, many small pores; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
E/B--11 to 32 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam (E); about 25 percent by volume vertically oriented streaks and masses containing common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations (B); massive; very friable; few medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)
Btg/E--32 to 40 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam; about 30 percent by volume intrusions of light gray, loamy very fine sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; ECe 0.7 mmhos/cm; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses if iron accumulation; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Btg--40 to 45 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) sandy clay loam; moderate medium blocky; extremely hard, firm; patchy clay films on faces of peds, few peds have thin coatings of clean sand grains; ECe 1.0 mmhos/cm; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Cr--45 to 47+ inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) shale of silty clay loam texture; separates to platy and blocky fragments; extremely hard, very firm and brittle, ECe 1.2 mmhos/cm.
TYPE LOCATION: Polk County, Texas; from intersection of U.S. Highway 59 and Farm Road 350 in Moscow, 10.5 miles west and southwest on Farm Road 350, west 0.6 mile on a county road to Colita, 2.1 miles north on a dirt road; 2,000 feet northeast on a trail, 100 feet east in forest.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to paralithic contact ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Base saturation at the paralithic contact ranges from 35 to 60 percent. The weighted average clay content in the control section typically is about 24 percent and the content of sand coarser than very fine sand is about 44 percent. Sodium absorption ratio is less than 10 throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Where value is less than 3.5 thickness is less than 6 inches. Texture is fine sandy loam or loamy very fine sand. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through moderately acid.
An E horizon is present in some pedons. Where present, it has hue of 10YR, value of 6 or 7,and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is very fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through moderately acid. Thickness ranges up to 8 inches.
The E part of the E/B horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6 or 7,and chroma of 1 or 2. The B part has similar colors with mottles. The B part of the E/B horizon makes up about 10 to 40 percent by volume of the horizon. Texture is very fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through moderately acid.
The Btg/E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations range from common to many in shades of brown. Texture is sandy clay loam, loam, or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through moderately acid. Intrusions of albic materials into the horizon are mainly along vertical faces of peds. These intrusions are 2 to 30 mm wide and typically extend completely through the horizon. Filled crayfish burrows range from few to many.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Mottles range from few to many in shades of brown. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through moderately acid. Electrical conductivity ranges from 0.2 to 2.0 mmhos/cm.
The Cr horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 6 or 7, and chroma of 1 through 3. It is firm, brittle tuffaceous siltstone or shale of clay loam or silty clay loam like texture. Widely scattered deposits of calcium carbonate and other white salts occur in fractures in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Vimville and Waller series in the same family, and the Alazan, Diboll, Elmina, Fuller, Gomery, Lelavale, Mollco, Mollville, Moten, and Myatt series in closely related families. Vimville and Waller soils do not have a paralithic contact to tuffaceous shale. Alazan soils do not have a paralithic contact, and have a yellower and browner subsoil. Diboll and Fuller soils have a natric horizon. Elmina and Gomery soils have a sandy surface layer more than 20 inches thick, are browner in the A2, and in addition, Gomery soils have less than 35 percent base saturation. Lelavale soils have a very deep solum and are extremely acid throughout. Mollco soils have a very deep solum. Mollville soils lack paralithic contact and have mixed mineralogy. Moten soils are in a coarse-loamy family and lack paralithic contact. Myatt soils have less than 35 percent base saturation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Colita soils are on nearly level to gently sloping uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The soils formed in tuffaceous siltstone and shales of the Catahoula formation. The climate is subhumid. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 50 inches. Annual frost-free rainfall is about 30 inches. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 66 degrees to 70 degrees F. and the annual Thornthwaite P-E indices exceed 70.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the closely related Elmina and Moten series, and the Anacoco, Kitterll, Laska, and Rayburn series. Elmina and Moten soils are on similar landscape positions. Anacoco and Rayburn soils are on similar positions, but have a clayey argillic horizon and have a PLE greater than 6 cm. or form cracks within the upper meter. Kitterll soils are on steeper slopes and have a solum that is less than 14 inches thick over tuffaceous sandstones. Laska soils are on slightly convex ridges or mounds and are browner throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; moderate permeability; rate of runoff is negligible on slopes up to 1 percent, and low on slopes more than 1 percent. A perched saturated zone is near the surface during winter and spring in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly in forest. The native vegetation typically consists of loblolly and longleaf pine, red oak, and sweetgum in the overstory, and pinehill bluestem and panicums in the understory.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Coastal Plain (MLRA 133B) in Southeastern Texas. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Polk County, Texas; 1983.
REMARKS: The soils were formerly mapped as a thck surface phase of the Lufkin series. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the type location pedon include:
Ochric epipedon ---- 0 to 32 inches (A and E/B horizons)
Argillic Horizon --- 32 to 45 inches (Btg/E and Btg horizons)
Glossic horizon ---- 32 to 40 inches (Btg/E horizon)
Paralithic contact - 45 inches (top of Cr horizon)
Aquic conditions --- 11 to 32 inches (E/B horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Data are available for the series type location pedon (TAMU- S81TX-373-1).
Btg/E 32 - 40 inches ECe 0.69 mmhos/cm; SAR 5.6
Btg 40 - 45 inches ECe 1.0 mmhos/cm; SAR 5.7
Cr 45 - 47 inches ECe 1.2 mmhos/cm; SAR 5.8
Base saturation at the paralithic contact ranges from 35 to 60 percent by Hach Kit.