LOCATION GALLION LA+AR OK

Established Series
Rev: WLC:JPE:MJB
01/2017

GALLION SERIES

The Gallion series consists of very deep, well drained soils. These nearly level to gently sloping soils are on natural levees on alluvial plains, and formed in silty Holocene age alluvium of the Arkansas and Red Rivers. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 18 degrees C (64 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 1270 mm (50 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Gallion silt loam, on a 0.5 percent slope in cultivated field; at an elevation of 43 m (141 ft). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in); brown (7.5YR 4/2) silt loam; weak fine and medium granular structure; friable; many fine pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (Thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 36 cm [4 to 14 in])

Bt1--25 to 56 cm (10 to 22 in); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) silty clay loam; compound weak coarse prismatic and moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, hard; many very fine pores; few faint dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) clay films on vertical prism faces and in root channels; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--56 to 84 cm (22 to 33 in); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) silt loam; compound weak coarse prismatic and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, hard; many very fine pores; common faint dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) clay films on peds and in root channels and pores; few fine black iron-manganese concretions; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 31 to 81 cm [12 to 32 in])

BC--84 to 112 cm (33 to 44 in); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) silt loam; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard; common faint clay films in pores; few fine black iron-manganese concretions; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Thickness of the BC horizon is 0 to 51 cm [0 to 20 in])

C--112 to 125 cm (44 to 49 in); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very fine sandy loam; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine pores; lenses of loam or silt loam about 5 cm (2 in) thick; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

Ck--125 to 203 cm (49 to 80 in); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) stratified silt loam and very fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine pores; common fine carbonate concretions; strata are 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) thick; calcareous; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Red River Parish, Louisiana; about 2.7 miles west of U.S. Highway 84 on farm road at Westdale to a point 300 feet west of Watson Bayou and 400 feet north of road in NW1/4 NE1/4, section 29, T. 14N, R. 11W.

USGS Topographic Quadrangle: Clear Lake, LA
Latitude: 32 degrees, 10 minutes, 36.91 seconds N
Longitude: 93 degrees, 30 minutes, 59.33 seconds W

Decimal Degrees:
Latitude: 32.17691944 degrees
Longitude: -93.51648056 degrees
Datum: NAD83

UTM Easting: 451309.3 m
UTM Northing: 3560163 m
UTM Zone: 14N

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Solum thickness: 100 to 150 cm (40 to 60 in)

Depth to argillic horizon: 10 to 36 cm (4 to 14 in)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 117 to 160 cm (46 to 63 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Sand content: 6.9 to 30 percent
CEC/clay ratio: 0.6 to 0.8

A or Ap horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: very fine sandy loam, silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

AB horizon (where present):
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: very fine sandy loam, silt loam or silty clay loam
Effervescence: none
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: silt loam, loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Clay films: amount-few to common; distinctness-distinct; location-on ped and prism faces and root channels
Redox concentrations: amount-none to common; size-medium; contrast-distinct; boundary-diffuse; location-throughout; colors-shades of red or brown
Iron-manganese concentrations: amount-none to common; size-fine or medium; contrast-distinct; boundary-diffuse; location-throughout matrix; colors-shades of black and very dark brown
Effervescence: none
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

BC horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 35 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-none to common; size-medium; contrast-distinct; boundary-diffuse; location-throughout; colors-shades of red or brown
Iron-manganese concentrations: amount-none to common; size-fine or medium; contrast-distinct; boundary-diffuse; location-throughout matrix; colors-shades of black and very dark brown
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-0 to 5 percent; kind-concretions
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline (pH 5.6 to 8.4)

C horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam or silty clay loam (and is typically stratified)
Clay content: 10 to 30 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-0 to 5 percent, kind-concretions
Effervescence: strong
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline (pH 6.1 to 8.4)

COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family. Similar series are the Dexter (LA), Dossman (LA), Dubbs (MS), Memphis (MS), Rilla (LA) and Siwell (MS) series.
Dexter and Dossman soils: have base saturation less than 60 percent at 125 cm (50 in) below the top of the argillic
Dubbs and Memphis soils: have active cation exchange class and argillic horizons with hues of 7.5YR and 10YR
Rilla soils: have an active cation exchange class and argillic horizons that are extremely to strongly acid
Siwell soils: have an active cation exchange class and clayey 2C horizons

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: silty Holocene age alluvium from sedimentary rock, of the Arkansas and Red Rivers
Landscape: alluvial plain
Landform: natural levee
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Soil moisture: Udic soil moisture regime
Mean annual soil temperature: 17.3 to 22.1 cm (63 to 72 degrees F)
Mean annual air temperature: 12.0 to 25.0 degrees C (54.0 to 77 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 1069 to 1600 mm (42 to 63 in)
Precipitation Pattern: July through September are the driest months, while October through June are the wettest months.
Frost-free period: 219 to 315 days
Elevation: 15 to 61 m (50 to 200 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 81 to 128

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buxin (LA), Caspiana (LA), Latanier (LA), and Moreland (LA) series.
Buxin and Moreland soils: are clayey throughout the control section and are on lower flood plain positions
Caspiana soils: have a mollic epipedon and is on similar landscape positions
Latanier soils: have a clayey over loamy control section and is in a lower position on the natural levee

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well drained
Permeability: moderate
Runoff: negligible on slopes less than 1 percent and low on slopes up to 3 percent

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cultivated crops or pasture. Principal crops are cotton, soybeans and corn. Principal pasture grass is bermudagrass. Native vegetation consists of mixed hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alluvial plains of the Arkansas and Red Rivers in Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma; Land Resource Region 0; MLRA 131B and 131C; the series is of large extent.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Bossier Parish, Louisiana; 1959,

REMARKS: The series was formerly included in the Dexter series. The series was separated based on base saturation above 60 percent at 125 cm (50 in) below top of argillic and site position.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 25 to 75 cm (10 to 30 in) (Bt1 and Bt2 horizon)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in) (Ap horizons)
Argillic horizon: 25 to 84 cm (10 to 33 in) (Bt horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations: 25 to 112 cm (10 to 49 in) (Bt, BC horizons)

Additional Comments: The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station laboratory data number S65LA-41-2.

Edited 01/2017 (JAD-MJB) Changed to tabular format. Updated pedon description, range in characteristics, and other sections.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station Data from type location S65LA-41-2 (Red River Parish, Louisiana). Additional LAES laboratory data available for S83LA-69-21 (Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana).

TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.