LOCATION FRANCITAS TX

Established Series
CDB-WLM-RM
02/2015

FRANCITAS SERIES

The Francitas series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils derived from clayey fluviomarine deposits of the Beaumont Formation. These nearly level soils occur on flats on low coastal plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1016 mm (40 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 21 degrees C (70 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Oxyaquic Hapluderts

TYPICAL PEDON: Francitas clay loam; at an elevation of 3 m (10 ft)-pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 41 cm (0 to 16 in); black (10YR 2/1) clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine angular and subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; many fine roots; common fine pores; slightly sodic; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 51 cm [6 to 20 in] thick)

Bss--41 to 97 (16 to 38 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; common fine roots; few fine pores; common prominent slickensides; moderately sodic; very slightly saline; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 79 cm [10 to 31 in] thick)

Bkss1--97 to 150cm (38 to 59 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few fine roots and pores; common prominent slickensides; peds have shiny pressure surfaces; few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; strongly sodic; moderately saline; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bksss horizons is 30 to 160 cm [12 to 63 in] thick)

Bkss2--150 to 175 cm (59 to 69 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; weak medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few fine roots and very fine pores; common prominent slickensides; dark gray coatings on surfaces of peds; common fine calcium carbonate concretions and few thin seams of calcium carbonate; few fine iron-manganese concretions; strongly sodic; strongly saline; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bkss3--175 to 274 cm (69 to 108 in); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; massive; very hard, very firm; few medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions; few fine faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) iron concentrations; few slickensides; few fine concretions and masses of calcium carbonate; strongly sodic; strongly saline; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Calhoun County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highways 238 and 316 which is about 3 miles south of Port Lavaca; 0.95 mile southeast on Texas Highway 316; 1.1 miles northeast on field road; 80 ft northwest of field road in pasture. This point is about 100 ft SE from break in slope to Bay and 100 ft SW of a large gully. Port Lavaca East USGS Quadrangle; Latitude: 29 degrees, 13 minutes, 5.13 secons N; Longitude: 95 degrees 11 minutes 26.76 seconds W; WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness ranges from 152 to more than 203 cm (60 to more than 80 in.)
Depth to slickensides: 25 to 76 cm (10 to 30 in) Undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with micro-highs 8 to 25 cm (3 to 10 in) higher than the micro-lows.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 71 to 100 cm (28 to 40 in) in over half of the pedon.
Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR): ranges from 6 to 13 in the A or Ap, 13 to 30 in the Bss horizon, and 13 to 50 in the Bkss horizons.
Electrical Conductivity (EC): ranges from 1 to 4 dS/m in the A or Ap, 4 to 12 dS/m in the Bss horizon, 4 to 25 dS/m in the Bkss horizon, and 8 to 25 dS/m in the BC and 2C horizons (where present).

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 45 to 60 percent

A or Ap Horizon:
Hue: 10YR or N
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or less
Texture: silty clay loam, clay loam or clay
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline (6.1 to 8.4)

Bss Horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 45 to 60 percent
Redox concentrations: amount- none or few, shades-brown or yellow
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline (6.6 to 8.4)

Bkss Horizons:
(Upper part)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 45 to 60 percent
Redox concentrations: amount- none or few, shades-brown or yellow
Effervescence: very slight to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline (7.4 to 8.4)

Bkss (Bk or BCK where present) Horizons:
(Lower part)
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: loam, sitly clay loam, clay, or silty clay
Clay content: 17 to 55 percent
Redox concentrations: amount- none to common, shades-brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount- none to commone, shades of gray
Effervescence: very slight to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline (7.4 to 8.4)

Some pedons have a 2C horizon below 152 cm (60 in) that has color in shades of red, brown, or gray. Texture is very fine sandy loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are no soils in the same family. Similar soils include the Ganado, Laewest, Lake Charles, League, Victine, and Victoria series.
Ganado, Laewest, Lake Charles, and Victoria soils: are not saline and sodic; do not have saturated conditions in the upper 100 cm (40 in)
League soils: are not saline or sodic; in areas with more than 1270 (50 in) of rainfall
Victine soils: do not have saturated conditions in the upper 100 cm (40 in); are dry in the moisture control section for longer periods of time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey fluviomarine deposits derived from the Beaumont Formation
Landscape: low Coastal Plains
Landform: flats
Microfeature: gilgai
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 940 to 1092 mm (37 to 43 in)
Precipitation Pattern: Mostly uniform throughout the year with slight peaks in the spring and fall months
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 48 to 64
Mean annual air temperature: 20.6 to 21.7 degrees C (69 to 71 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 275 to 300 days
Elevation: 1 to 5 m (3 to 16.5 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dacosta, Laewest, Livia, Narta and Palacios series.
Dacosta soils: have an argillic horizon; are on slightly higher landform.
Laewest soils: on a similar landform at a higher elevation
Livia, Narta, and Palacios soils: have a natric horizon; are on a slightly lower landform.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; high runoff; very slow permeability. A perched water table occurs in the A and Bss horizons for periods of 1 to 5 weeks in winter and spring.

USE AND VEGETATION: The dominant use is rangeland. Some areas are used for cropland in the production of rice and grain sorghum and for pastureland. Native grasses are mainly gulf cordgrass, and species of andropogon and paspalum.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the mid coastal region of Texas. LRR- T; MLRA- 150B (Gulf Coast Saline Prairies; moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Calhoun County, Texas; 1972.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Slickensides: 41 to 274 cm (16 to 108 in) (Bss and Bkss horizons).
Cambic horizon: 16 to 274 cm (16 to 108 in) (Bss and Bkss horizons)

Addition remarks: These soils would classify as a Halic or Sodic subgroup if provided in Soil Taxonomy.

ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory data from Calhoun County, Texas (S70TX-29-25), (Lab Nos. 70L174-70L179) and (S70TX-29-27) (Lab Nos. 70L180-70L180).

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.