LOCATION HARRIS                  TX

Established Series
Rev. WLM:SEB:RM
07/2014

HARRIS SERIES

The Harris series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils. These soils formed in saline clay derived from Halocene age coastal sediments. Slope is less than 1 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 21 degrees C (70 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 1270 mm (50 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Typic Natraquerts

TYPICAL PEDON: Harris clay, on less than 1 percent slope in level coastal marshlands; elevation is 0.9 m (3 ft) (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ag1--0 to 13 cm, (0 to 5 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak coarse angular blocky structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; many medium roots; many fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation along root channels; slightly saline; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (thickness is 8 to 15 cm [3 to 6 in])

Ag2--13 to 21 cm, (5 to 12 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak coarse angular blocky structure parting to moderate medium subangular; very hard, very firm; few medium roots; many fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation along root channels; slightly saline; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (thickness is 13 to 15 [5 to 10 in])

Bssg1--21 to 48 cm, (12 to 19 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few shiny pressure surfaces on surfaces of peds; few distinct slickensides; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation along root channels; moderately saline; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (thickness is 5 to 20 cm [2 to 8 in])

Bssg2--48 to 76 cm, (19 to 30 in); dark gray (N 4/0) clay, gray (N 5/0) dry; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky and fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few distinct slickensides; few gray (N 6/0) silt coatings on surfaces of prisms; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation with clear and sharp boundaries in the matrix; few fine faint gray (N 5/0) iron depletions with diffuse boundaries in the matrix; moderately saline; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (thickness is 25 to 46 cm [10 to 18 in])

Bssg3--76 to 112 cm, (30 to 44 in); dark gray (N 4/0) clay, gray (N 5/0) dry; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few gray (N 6/0) silt coatings on surfaces of prisms; common distinct slickensides; common fine dark concretions; common fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation with clear and sharp boundaries; few fine faint gray (N 5/0) and light gray (N 7/0) iron depletions; strongly saline; slightly alkaline; diffuse smooth boundary. (thickness is 31 to 51 cm [12 to 20 in])

Bssg4--112 to 203 cm, (44 to 80 in); gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay, gray (5Y 6/1) dry; massive; very hard, firm; very few fine roots; common distinct slickensides; few dark concretions; common fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation with clear and sharp boundaries in matrix; few fine faint light gray (N 7/0) iron depletions with diffuse boundaries in matrix; strongly saline; slightly alkaline.(thickness is 53 to 91 cm [21 to 36 in])

TYPE LOCATION: Chambers County, Texas (TX); from the intersection of Farm Road 1985 and Farm Road 562, which is about 11 miles southeast of Anahuac, 4.2 miles east on Farm Road 1985, 11.3 miles south and east on shell and dirt road, 0.3 mile northwest on spoil bank of Oyster Bayou, 600 ft west in rangeland.). (High Island USGS topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 29 degrees, 33 minutes, 36 seconds N; Longitude: 94 degrees, 28 minutes, 47 seconds W. WGS84; UTM Easting 356651 m, UTM Northing 3270945 m, UTM Zone 15.)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An aquic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 21.7 to 22 degrees C (71 to 72 degrees F)

Depth to natric horizon: 30 to 150 cm (12 to 59 in)
Depth to redox concentrations: 30 to 150 cm (12 to 59 in)
Depth to redox depletions: 30 to 150 cm (12 to 59 in)
Vertic features: 30 to 105 cm (12 to 41 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent

Ag Horizon
Hue: 10YR, 5Y, or N
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or less
Texture: Clay or Silty Clay
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Redox concentrations: few to many, shades-brown
Redox depletions: few to many, fine or medium
Electrical Conductivity (mmhos/cm): 4 to 32
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 10 to 30
Reaction: neutral to strongly alkaline

Bssg Horizon
Hue: 10YR, 5Y, or N
Value: 4 or 7
Chroma: 1 or less
Texture: Clay or Silty Clay
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Redox concentrations: few to many, fine or medium
Redox depletions: few to many, fine or medium
Iron-manganese concentrations: few to many, fine to coarse
Electrical Conductivity (mmhos/cm): 4 to 32
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 10 to 30
Reaction: neutral to strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aransas and Franeau series. Similar soils are the Agee, Barbary, Caplen, Surfside, Tracosa, and Velasco series.

Aransas soils have high runoff.

Franeau soils are on higher landscape.

Agee soils are nonsaline in all horizons.

Barbary soils have very-fine particle-size control sections and have n-value more than 0.7 to a depth of 40 in or more.

Caplen soils have n-value more than 1.0 to a depth of more than 40 ines. Surfside soils have vertic properties and have very-fine particle-size control sections.

Tracosa soils have a ochric epipedon and have a peraquic moisture regime.

Velasco soils have a mollic epipedon more than 30 in thick, B horizons with hue redder than 7.5YR, and a very-fine particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: saline clay derived from Halocene age fluviomarine deposits
Landscape: Low Coastal Plain
Landform: Intermediate to brackish marshes
Slope: less than 1 percent
Mean annual air temperature range: 20 to 22 degrees C (68 to 72 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation range: 1219 to 1575 mm (48 to 62 in)
Precipitation Pattern: Precipitation is fairly uniform throughout the year with slight peaks in the fall and spring months
Frost-free period: 270 to 300 days
Elevation: 0 to 5 m (0 to 15 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar Beaumont, Tracosa, and Surfside series and the Francitas, Galveston, Ijam, Narta, Stowell, and Veston series.

Beaumont soils are on slightly higher elevations and are better drained.
Galveston soils are sandy throughout.
Ijam and Veston soils have an ochric epipedon, and also, Veston soils have a fine-silty control section.
Narta soils have a natric horizon.
Stowell soils have a argillic horizon and have a fine-loamy control section.
Tracosa soils are in lower landscape positions. Surfside soils are in slightly higher landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Runoff is high. A permanent water table fluctuates from the soil surface to a depth of about 76 cm (30 in). Harris soils are flooded with saline and brackish water to a depth of 0.3 m (1 ft) during high tides. Flooding to a depth of several meters occur during major storms.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Rice is grown on a small acreage where the soil is protected from flooding by salt water, and water control is maintained. Native vegetation is water-loving and salt tolerant grasses and sedges such as marshhay cordgrass, common reed and seashore saltgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Texas Gulf Coast from Calhoun County to the Sabine River: LRR T; MLRA 150B and 151 of Texas;. The series is of large extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harris County, Texas; 1922.

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

Mollic epipedon - 0 to 48 cm ([0 to 19 in] Ag1, Ag2, Bssg1 horizons)
Aquic moisture regime-gleyed colors and low chroma matrix due to wetness.
Slickensides- 31 to 203 cm (12 to 80 in)

ADDITIONAL DATA: none

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.