LOCATION GALVESTON TX
Established Series
Rev. GC-RM-AKS
09/2020
GALVESTON SERIES
The Galveston series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained, high saturated hydraulic conductivity (rapidly permeable soils) that formed in sandy eolian deposits derived from igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock. These nearly level to strongly sloping soils occur on back-barrier flats on barrier islands. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. The soils are occasionally flooded with salt water during severe storms. Mean annual precipitation is about 1016 mm (40 in) and mean annual air temperature is about 21 degrees C (70 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, hyperthermic Oxyaquic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Galveston fine sand--rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 9 cm (0 to 4 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sand; single grain; loose; many fine roots and many very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline, pH 7.4; clear smooth boundary.
A2--9 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand; single grain; loose; many fine roots and many very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizons is 13 to 28 cm [5 to 11 in])
C1--15 to 28 cm (6 to 11 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand; single grain; loose; common fine roots and common very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; neutral, pH 7.2; clear smooth boundary.
C2--28 to 61 cm (11 to 24 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sand; single grain; loose; common fine roots and common very fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 1 percent fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries in matrix; moderately alkaline, pH 7.9; gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the C horizons is 39 to 128 cm [15 to 50 in])
C3--61 to 82 cm (24 to 32 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) fine sand; single grain structure; loose; few fine roots and few very fine roots; 5 percent fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries in matrix; 1 percent flat subangular very weakly cemented 2 to 5-millimeter shell fragments; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2; gradual smooth boundary.
Cg1--82 to 103 cm (32 to 41); 70 percent gray (10YR 6/1) and 30 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sand; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; 3 percent fine prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of oxidized iron with diffuse boundaries in matrix; 1 percent flat subangular very weakly cemented 2 to 5-millimeter shell fragments; strongly alkaline, pH 8.5; gradual smooth boundary.
Cg2--103 to 132 cm (41 to 52 in); gray (2.5Y 6/1) fine sand; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; 2 percent fine prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of oxidized iron with diffuse boundaries in matrix; 1 percent flat subangular very weakly cemented 2 to 5-millimeter shell fragments; strongly alkaline, pH 8.9; gradual smooth boundary.
Cg3--132 to 146 cm (52 to 58 in); gray (N 5/), fine sand; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; 3 percent fine prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of oxidized iron with diffuse boundaries in matrix; 1 percent flat subangular very weakly cemented 2 to 5-millimeter shell fragments; strongly alkaline, pH 9.0; gradual smooth boundary.
Cg4--146 to 180 cm (58 to 71 in); gray (N 5/), fine sand; single grain; loose; 1 percent flat subangular very weakly cemented 2 to 5-millimeter shell fragments; very strongly alkaline, pH 9.2; gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Cg horizon is 62 to 141 cm [24 to 55 in])
Cg5--180 to 210 cm (71 to 83 in); gray (N 5/), fine sand; single grain; loose; 1 percent flat subangular very weakly cemented 2 to 5-millimeter shell fragments; very strongly alkaline, pH 9.3.
TYPE LOCATION: Galveston County, Texas; about 14 miles southwest of Galveston; from the intersection of Farm Road 3005 and Stewart Road, 3.8 miles southwest on Farm Road 3005, 400 ft northwest of the fence in range. USGS topographic quadrangle: Galveston; Latitude: 29 degrees, 9 minutes, 56.9 seconds N; Longitude: 95 degrees, 0 minutes, 8.46 seconds W; Datum WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 21.7 to 22 degrees C (71 to 72 degrees F)
Depth to loamy strata: more than 183 cm (72 in) and less than 356 cm (140 in) in most pedons.
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 0 to 0.5 percent
Sand content: 90 to 99 percent
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand
Sand content: 94 to 99.6 percent
Reaction (pH): moderately acid to moderately alkaline (5.6 to 8.4)
C horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: fine sand
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 2 percent; shades-brown or red
Sand content: 90 to 99.9 percent
Reaction (pH): slightly acid to moderately alkaline (6.1 to 8.4)
Cg horizon
Hue: 10YR to N
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: fine sand
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 10 percent; shades-brown, red, or yellow
Sand content: 94 to 99.9 percent
Reaction (pH): neutral to strongly alkaline (6.6 to 9.3)
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the
Cheniere,
Falfurrias,
Felicity, and St.
Augustine. Cheniere soils: have carbonatic mineralogy
Falfurrias soils: are dry for longer periods of time
Felicity soils: are somewhat poorly drained and have aquic conditions for some time in most years
St. Augustine soils: have siliceous mineralogy, are somewhat poorly drained and have been dredged or dug and redeposited as a layer of fill
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy eolian sediments derived from igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock
Landscape: barrier islands
Landform: back-barrier flats
Slope: 0 to 3
Mean annual precipitation: 1092 to 1295 mm (43 to 51 in)
Mean annual air temperature: 20.6 to 21.7 degrees C (69 to 71 degrees F)
Frost-free Period: 275 to 300
Elevation: 0 to 8 m (0 to 25 ft) above the mean tide level.
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 33 to 75
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Brazosport,
Drumbay,
Nass, and tentative and Sanluis soils
Brazosport soils: sodic throughout and wetter; on a lower landscape
Drumbay soils: are somewhat poorly drained: on similar landform but lower water receiving areas
Nass soils: in depressions
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Somewhat excessively drained (water enters these soils rapidly and drain to the permanent water table)
Runoff: very low. Internal drainage is rapid above the water table. Permeability is rapid. A water table is at depths of 76 to 122 cm (30 to 48 in) in normal years. Following storms or very high tides the water table approaches the surface for a period of a few days in some areas. These soils are occasionally inundated with salt water during cyclonic storms.
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: Mostly native rangeland, wildlife habitat and recreation
Native vegetation: mainly bunch grasses such as switchgrass, seacoast bluestem, sea-oats, common reedgrass, and gulfdune paspalum, and soilbind morninglory. Some areas have clumps of sweetbay, redbay, and dwarf live oak trees.
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: Northern Coastal Sand (R150BY530TX)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General area: Mainly on barrier islands of the upper Gulf Coast of Texas.
Land Resource Region: Atlantic and Gulf Coast Lowland Forest and Crop Region(T)
Major Land Resource Areas: 150B: Gulf Coast Saline Prairies
Extent: moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brazoria County, Texas; 1907.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in) (A horizons).
Endosaturation: 82 to 210 cm (32 to 83 in) (Cg horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: TAMU soil characterization lab data on S95TX167002 at the type location. Mixed sand mineralogy confirmed on similar soils
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.