LOCATION DELEON TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, thermic Udertic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Deleon clay--pasture.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A11--0 to 6 inches, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular and moderate fine angular blocky structure; hard, very firm; very
sticky; many roots and pores; cracks 1/2 inch wide and 15 inches
long extend through this horizon; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
(4 to 30 inches thick)
A12--6 to 30 inches, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium angular
blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky; common roots
and pores; cracks 1/2 inch wide and 15 inches long extend through this horizon few wormcasts; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (10
to 30 inches thick)
A13--30 to 44 inches, dark brown (10YR 4/3) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; very
hard, very firm; very sticky; few roots and pores; mildly
alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
C--44 to 64 inches, dark brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam,
dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; hard, firm; few roots;
common calcium carbonate films and threads; moderately alkaline; calcareous.
TYPE LOCATION: Eastland County, Texas; from intersection of Farm Road 2214 and Farm Road 517; 3.7 miles northwest on Farm Road 2214 and 100 feet north of road in pasture; this point is approximately
16 miles southeast of Eastland, Texas, via Farm Road 2214.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 30 to more than 60 inches. The dry soil cracks 0.5 to 1 inch wide from the surface to depths of 20 to 30 inches. COLE range from 0.07 to
0.14. The clay content of the 10- to 40-inch control section
ranges from 35 to 55 percent.
The A horizon is dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dark brown, (10YR 4/3, 3/3), or brown (7.5YR 5/2, 4/2; 10YR 5/3). It is clay, silty clay, silty clay loam, or clay loam. It is neutral through moderately alkaline. Some pedons are calcareous.
The C horizon is dark brown to light brown or pale brown in hues
of 7.5YR or 10YR with values of 3 to 6 and chromas of 2 through 4. It is silty clay loam, clay, or clay loam and may contain strata
of loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, or fine sand below 40 inches. Some pedons are calcareous and contain films and threads of
calcium carbonate, mostly below 40 inches. Some pedons have B2 horizons up to 18 inches thick that are similar in color and
texture to the C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the
Roetex series and the similar
Behring,
Miller and
Krum series. Roetex soils have colors redder than hues of 10YR and have mottles due to wetness. Behring soils have montmorillonitic mineralogy and have developed over shaly
clay. Krum soils have a regular decrease in organic matter and
occur in uplands.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on nearly level flood plains. The soil formed in neutral or alkaline loamy and clayey alluvial sediments. Slopes are dominantly less than 1 percent but some
short slopes are as much as 2 percent. Flooding occurs at
intervals ranging from 1 or more times a year to once every 4 to
10 years unless protected. Mean annual temperature is 62 degrees
to 70 degrees F., mean annual precipitaion is 27 to 35 inches, and Thornthwaite annual P-E indices are 40 to 54.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing
Bosque and
Frio series and the
Bunyan and
Port series. Bunyan
soils lack mollic epipedons and have less than 35 percent clay in
the 10- to 40-inch control section. Port soils have fine-silty control section and a
COLE of less than .07.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; slow permeability. A water table is within 10 feet of the surface
in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Frequently flooded areas are used mainly for pecan orchards and bermudagrass pastures. Forage sorghum, grain sorghum, and alfalfa are the main crops grown. Native vegetation consists of cane and silver bluestem, sideoats grama,
buffalograss, Texas wintergrass, elm, hackberry, white oak, and
pecan trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Rolling Red Prairies and Cross Timbers Areas of central Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eastland County, Texas; l972.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly classified as Alluvial soils
and were previously included in the Trinity series.