LOCATION CONTEE TX
Established Series
GLL-CLN-SAK-AKS
07/2019
CONTEE SERIES
The Contee series consists of very deep, well drained, very slowly permeables soils that formed in clayey fluviomarine deposits derived from the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene age. These nearly level to gently sloping soils are on flats on flat coastal plains. Slope is mainly less than 1 percent but range up to 3. Mean annual precipitation is about 940 mm (37 in) and the mean annual air temperature is about 21 degrees C (70 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Chromic Hapluderts
TYPICAL PEDON: Contee clay loam, on a southeast facing, convex, 0.3 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 8.2 m (27 ft). (Colors are for moist soil unless stated.)
A--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky; common fine and few medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; common fine nodules of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 23 cm [4 to 9 in] thick)
Bss--20 to 69 cm (8 to 27 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky; few fine roots; few fine dendritic tubular pores; common distinct slickensides; common prominent pressure faces; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; few fine nodules of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 76 cm [10 to 30 in] thick)
Bkss--69 to 124 cm (27 to 49 in); gray (10YR 6/1) clay, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky; few fine roots; few very fine dendritic tubular pores; common distinct slickensides; common prominent pressure faces; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; about 10 percent fine and medium nodules of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 71 cm [10 to 28 in] thick)
Bk--124 to 157 cm (49 to 62 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, weak coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky; few fine faint light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) masses of oxidized iron in matrix with sharp boundaries; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; about 10 percent fine nodules of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual boundary. (20 to 61 cm [8 to 24 in] thick)
BCk--157 to 203 (62 to 80 in); light gray (10YR 7/2) clay loam; massive; very hard, firm; sticky; common fine distinct yellow (10YR 7/6) masses of oxidized iron; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; about 5 percent fine masses and 15 medium nodules of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Calhoun County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highway 35 and U. S. Highway 87 in Port Lavaca; about 5.6 miles southwest on Texas Highway 35; 0.35 miles northwest on a county road; 60 ft southwest of county road on micro-high in rangeland.
USGS topographic quadrangle: Port Lavaca West, TX;
Latitude is 28 degrees, 34 minutes, 04 seconds N;
Longitude is 96 degrees, 43 minutes, 40 seconds W. NAD 83.
Datum: WGS 84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
When dry, cracks 1 to about 5 cm (0.4 to about 2) in wide extend from the surface to a depth of more than 51 cm (20 in). Pressure surfaces range from few to many, with a few distinct slickensides in most pedons.
Soil Moisture: An udic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is moist in some or all parts for more than 275 days in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 22 to 23.5 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F).
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 in)
Depth to slickensides: 10 to 23 cm (4 to 9 in)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 40 to 50 percent
A Horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 2 percent, shades-yellow or brown
Iron manganese concretions: amount- 0 to 2 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-1 to 3 percent, kind-concretions or nodules
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Bss Horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay or clay
Clay content: 40 to 50 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 2 percent, shades-yellow or brown
Iron manganese concretions: amount- 0 to 2 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-1 to 3 percent, kind-concretions, nodules or masses
Effervescence: none to strong
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Bkss Horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay or clay
Clay content: 40 to 50 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 2 percent, shades-yellow or brown
Iron manganese concretions: amount- 0 to 2 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-1 to 3 percent, kind-concretions, nodules or masses
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Bk Horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, silty clay or clay
Clay content: 30 to 50 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 2 percent, shades-yellow or brown
Iron manganese concretions: amount- 0 to 2 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-1 to 3 percent, kind-concretions, nodules or masses
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
BCk Horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: clay loam, silty clay or clay
Clay content: 30 to 50 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 2 percent, shades-yellow or brown
Iron manganese concretions: amount- 0 to 2 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-1 to 3 percent, kind-concretions, nodules or masses
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils include the
Denhawken (TX),
Hannon (AL),
Juncos (PR),
Laewest (TX),
Lake Charles (TX),
Naclina (TX), and
Nutley (SD) series.
Denhawken soils: in an ustic soil moisture regime; do not have slickensides
Hannon soils: in a thermic soil soil temperature regime; moderately well drained; have an argillic horizon
Juncos soils: in an isohyperthermic soil temperature regime; typically has volcanic rock starting at 102 cm (40 in)
Laewest and
Lake Charles soils: mollic epipedon.
Naclina soils: in a thermic soil temperature regime; allows colors redder than 10YR in the upper part
Nutley soils: in a frigid soil temperature regime; does not typically have identifiable secondary carbonates
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey fluviomarine deposits derived from the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene age
Landscape: flat coastal plain
Landform: flats
Microfeature: gilgai microhigh
Slope: mainly less than 1 percent but range up to 3.
Precipitation Pattern: Precipitation is uniform throughout the year with slight peaks from May to June and from September to October.
Mean annual precipitation range: 940 to 1143 mm (37 to 45 in)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 40 to 56
Mean annual air temperature range: 20.6 to 21.7 cm (69 to 71 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 275 to 300 days
Elevation: 7.6 to 68 m (20 to 150 ft)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Dacosta (TX) and
Laewest (TX) series.
Dacosta soils: have an argillic horizon; on slightly depressional areas adjacent to the Contee soils in complex soil areas.
Laewest soils: are clayey throughout; are on areas adjacent flats.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Well
Permeability class: very slow
Runoff: high on slopes less than 1 percent and very high on slopes of 1 to 3 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major use: cropland and rangeland. Crops are cotton, grain sorghum, corn, and rice.
Native vegetation: little bluestem, indiangrass, sideoats grama, Texas wintergrass, huisache, and mesquite.
Ecological sites assigned to phases and components of this series are listed below. Current ecological site assignments are in Web Soil Survey. Components of this series include the following ecological sites: : Blackland
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General location: Coastal Prairie of Texas
Land Resource Region: T (Atlantic and Gulf Coast Lowland Forest and Crop Region)
Major Land Resource Area: 150A (Gulf Coast Prairies)
Extent: Not extensive
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Calhoun County, Texas; 1972.
REMARKS: Classification changed from Vertic Haplaquepts to Chromic Hapluderts 11/2000 based on typifying pedon description. Further study and characterization data of the series is needed to verify hydrology and classification.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in) (A horizon).
Vertic feature: 20 to 124 cm (8 to 49 in) (Bss and Bkss horizon) includes pressure surfaces and cracks with slickensides in some pedons.
Calcic horizon: 69 to 203 cm (27 to 80 in) (Bkss, Bk, and BCk horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: none.
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.