LOCATION FORDTRAN                TX

Established Series
WLM-SEB-RM
09/2015

FORDTRAN SERIES

The Fordtran series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in loamy and sandy alluvium of Pleistocene age. These nearly level to gently sloping soils are stream terraces on coastal plains. Slopes are generally less than 2 percent, but range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 991 mm (39 in), and mean annual air temperature is about degrees 21 degrees C (70 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, hyperthermic Aquic Arenic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Fordtran loamy fine sand--rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 41 cm (0 to 16 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry, loamy fine sand; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2); weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; many fine roots; 3 percent by volume of rounded siliceous pebbles; common wormcasts; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (18 to 51 cm [7 to 20 in] thick)

E--41 to 71 cm (16 to 28 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry, loamy fine sand; light gray (10YR 7/2); single grained; soft, loose; common fine roots; few wormcasts; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (25 to 51 cm [10 to 20 in] thick)

Bt1--71 to 91 cm (28 to 36 in); light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, sandy clay; very pale brown (10YR 8/2); moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine siliceous pebbles; common clay films; many medium to coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common medium prominent dark red (10R 3/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 51 cm [8 to 20 in] thick)

Bt2--91 to 122 cm (36 to 48 in); light gray (10YR 7/1) dry, sandy clay; white (10YR 8/1); moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few fine roots; common clay films; few weakly cemented dark concretions; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 51 cm [8 to 20 in] thick)

Bt3--122 to 147 cm (48 to 58 in); light gray (10YR 7/1) dry, sandy clay loam; white (10YR 8/1); weak coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm; patchy clay films; few weakly cemented dark concretions; many coarse and medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and red (10R 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 51 cm [0 to 20 in] thick)

BCt--147 to 203 cm [58 to 80 in]; variegated matrix of gray (10YR 6/1), dark red (10R 3/6) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sandy clay loam; weak coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm; few patchy clay films; common rounded siliceous pebbles; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: DeWitt County, Texas; from the intersection of U. S. Highways 87 and 183 in Cuero, Texas; 11 miles southeast on U. S. Highways 87 to Thomaston; 4.0 miles northeast of Thomaston on a county road; 3.0 miles north on a county road; 260 ft east of road in rangeland. Fordtran USGS quad; Latitude: 29 degrees, 4 minutes, 47.13 seconds N; Longitude: 97 degrees, 6 minutes, 2.07 seconds W, Datum: WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Fordtran soils are in an udic soil moisture regime. These soils remain moist for longer than 275 days in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 21.7 to 22.8 degrees C (71 to 73 degrees F)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 40-50 percent

Solum thickness ranges from 152 to more than 203 cm (60 to more than 80 in). Base saturation is 75 percent or more in some part of the argillic horizon. Dark concretions range from none to a few throughout.
Subrounded siliceous pebbles 1 cm to 8 cm in diameter range from none to 15 percent by volume.
The A horizon ranges from 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in) thick.

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sand or loamy sand
Clay content: 5 to 12
Sand content: 70 to 85
Redox concentrations: amount-none to common, shades-brown
Redox depletions: amount- none or few, shades-gray
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid

E horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sand or loamy sand
Clay content: 5 to 12
Sand content: 70 to 85
Redox concentrations: amount-none to common, shades-brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount- none to common, shades-gray
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid.

Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 8
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: upper 51 cm (20 in) of the Bt horizon is clay loam, sandy clay or clay with clay content of 35 to 50 percent. The lower part of the Bt horizon includes sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 35 to 50
Sand content: 40 to 55
Redox concentrations: amount-common to many, shades-red,brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount- none to common, shades-gray
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm):0 to 2
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 2
Reaction: upper part of the Bt horizon ranges from strongly acid to neutral. The lower part of the Bt horizon ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.

BCt horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 8
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 40
Sand content: 40 to 65
Redox concentrations: amount-common to many, shades-red,brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount- none to common, shades-gray
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
Some pedons have concretions and masses of calcium carbonate with or without gypsum crystals.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils are Edna, Garwood, Inez, Levac, Marcado, Telferner, and Yeaton.
Edna and Inez soils: do not have 50 cm or more of a sandy surface
Garwood soils: do not have 50 cm or more of a sandy surface and saturated and reduced with water between 13 and 23 inches for some period of time in 6 out of 10 years
Levac soils: are somewhat poorly drained; do not have 50 cm or more of a sandy surface
Marcado soils: are well drained; do not have 50 cm or more of a sandy surface
Telferner and Yeaton soils: do not have 50 cm or more of a sandy surface

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Pleistocene age sandy and loamy alluvium derived from igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock
Landscape: river valleys on coastal plains
Landform: stream terraces
Slope: 0 to 5, are mainly less than 2 percent, but range up to 5 percent along natural drains.
Mean annual precipitation: 941 to 1,295 mm (37 to 51 in)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 44 to 64
Mean annual air temperature: 20.6 to 21.7 degrees C (69 degrees to 71 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 270 to 335 days
Elevation: 15.2 to 46 m (50 to 150 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Cieno, Dacosta, Edna, Garcitas, Lake Charles, Nada, and Telferner soils.
Cieno, Dacosta, Edna, Nada and Telferner soils: have loamy surface layers less than 51 cm (20 in) thick and are on slightly lower positions.
Garcitas soils: have gravelly or very gravelly surface layers and are above on knolls or low ridges.
Lake Charles soils: are clayey throughout and are on slightly lower positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes, low on 1 to 3 percent slopes and medium on 3 to 5 percent slopes. Water perches on top of the argillic horizon for periods of 1 to 2 weeks following extended heavy rains. During wet years planting may be delayed for short periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for native rangeland. A small acreage is used for growing corn, grain sorghums, peanuts, melons, rice, and improved bermudagrass pastures. Native vegetation is tall and midgrasses such as andropogons and paspalums. Running live oak has encroached in places.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Prairies of Texas, mainly between the Colorado and Guadalupe Rivers. LRR T; MLRA- 150A (Gulf Coast Prairies) The series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Calhoun County, Texas; 1972.

REMARKS: The classification is changed from Arenic Albaqualfs to Aquic Arenic Hapludalfs based on the soil moisture study "ISCOM VIII, Classification and Management of Wet Soils, 1990." This soil does not have an aquic moisture regime. Mineralogy is also changed from mixed to montmorillonitic based on data from similar associated soils.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 71 cm (0 to 28 in)(A and E horizons)
Albic horizon: 41 to 71 cm (16 to 28 in)(E horizon, not required).
Argillic horizon: 71 to 203 cm (28 to 80 in)(Bt horizons)
Redoximorphic features: masses of iron accumulation in the Bt horizon.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Highway Department Lab data on one pedon from Jackson County, TX (THD84TX-239-5).

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

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.