LOCATION HENCO TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Grossarenic Paleaquults
TYPICAL PEDON: Henco loamy fine sand, on a 2 percent slope in pasture.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise
stated.)
A11--0 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy fine sand; common medium distinct brown (10YR 4/3), pale brown (10YR 6/3) and common fine distinct strong brown mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; common fine, medium and
coarse roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
A12--8 to 15 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy fine sand; common fine distinct brownish yellow and yellowish brown mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable;
common fine, medium and coarse roots; medium acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
A2g--15 to 44 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loamy fine sand; common fine distinct brownish yellow and strong brown mottles;
single grained; loose, very friable; common fine and medium roots; medium acid; gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 44 inches thick)
A&B--44 to 62 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) uncoated loamy
fine sand (A), with vertically oriented mottles, streaks and
pockets of yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), strong brown (7.5YR 5/8)
and light gray (10YR 7/1) sandy clay loam (Bt), weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine roots; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 24 inches thick)
Cg--62 to 72 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) loamy fine sand;
with common medium distinct yellow (10YR 7/6) mottles; single grained; loose, very friable; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Henderson County, Texas; about 12 miles east of Athens; from intersection of U.S. Highway 175 and Farm Road 607;
4.7 miles north on Farm Road 607; 1.45 miles east on county road;
100 feet north in pasture.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to
slightly acid in the A horizon and is very strongly acid or
strongly acid in the lower horizons. Base saturation at 72 inches ranges from 20 to 35 percent.
The A horizon is fine sand or loamy fine sand and is 40 to 64
inches thick. The A11 horizon has hue of 10YR with colors of very dark gray (10YR 3/1), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), or grayish brown (10YR 5/2). When value
is less than 3.5 the horizon is less than 10 inches thick. The
A12 horizon has hue of 10YR with colors of grayish brown (10YR
5/2), light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), or pale brown (10YR 6/3).
The A2 horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y with colors of gray (10YR 6/1), light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), light gray (10YR 7/1, 7/2;
2.5Y 7/2), pale brown (10YR 6/3), or very pale brown (10YR 7/3). Most pedons contain mottles in shades of brown and yellow. Some
part of the A or A2 horizon has colors with chroma of 3. The A2 material of the A and B horizon is gray (10YR 6/1), light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), or light gray (10YR 7/1, 7/2). It is mostly
loamy fine sand, but ranges from fine sand to fine sandy loam. In the upper part of the horizon, the skeletans of A2 material makes
up 50 to 70 percent and in the lower part it makes up 30 to 50 percent. The B2t material is yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, 5/8), brownish yellow (10YR 6/6, 6/8), yellow (10YR 7/6, 7/8), strong
brown (7.5YR 6/5, 5/8), yellowish red (5YR 5/8), gray (10YR 5/1, 6/1), or light gray (10YR 7/1). The horizon is typically mottled
in these colors. The B2t material is in vertically oriented
bodies with a texture of sandy clay loam, sandy loam, or fine
sandy loam.
The C horizon is fine sand or loamy fine sand. It is light gray (10YR 7/1, 7/2; N 7/0). Some pedons contain yellowish or brownish mottles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Plummer series in the same family and the
Chipley,
Kanapaha,
Leagueville,
Leefield,
Mustang,
Osier,
Pelham, and
Rentzel series. Chipley, Mustang, and Osier soils
have sandy control sections and lack argillic horizons. Leefield
and Rentzel soils contain more than 5 percent plinthite in the Bt horizon and are better drained. Leagueville and Pelham soils have
a sandy epipedon 20 to 40 inches thick. Plummer soils are gray throughout and lack a seasonal dry period during late summer and fall. Kanapaha soils have mean annual soil temperatures greater
than 72 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Henco soils are on bottoms of narrow drainageways and on short sideslopes along the drainageway. They formed in sandy and loamy sediments in the Southern Coastal Plain. Slopes are mainly 2 to 3 percent but range from 1 to 5 percent.
Mean annual rainfall ranges from 37 to 48 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 65 degrees to 68 degrees F., and the Thornthwaite annual P-E indices exceed 64.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Leagueville series and the
Lufkin,
Nahatche,
Pickton,
Raino,
Thenas,
Tonkawa, and
Wolfpen series. Leagueville soils are in similar positions. Lufkin and Raino soils are on broad mounded
areas and lack sandy epipedons. Nahatche and Thenas are loamy
soils on flood plains. Pickton, Wolfpen, and Tonkawa soils are on high ridgetops and sloping to strongly sloping sideslopes.
Tonkawa soils lack argillic horizons. Pickton and Wolfpen soils
have base saturation of more than 35 percent and are well drained. Wolfpen soils have a sandy epipedon 20 to 40 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Henco soils are poorly drained.
Runoff is very slow and permeability is moderate. A water table
is at a depth of 0.5 to 2.0 feet during the winter and spring and
3.0 to 5.0 feet during late summer and fall.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for native pasture with some
areas of improved pastures of bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and fescuegrass. Native vegetation includes pinehill bluestem, broomsedge bluestem, longleaf uniola, panicums, sedges, rushes, southern bayberry, sumac, buttonbush, persimmon, dogwood,
grapevine, water oak, sweetgum, southern red oak and a few
loblolly pine trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Texas and possibly Louisiana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Henderson County, Texas; 1978.
REMARKS: These soils would have been classified in the Low-Humic Gley great soil group. Henco soils would be classified as Grossarenic Aeric Paleaquults if provisions were made for these groupings in Soil Taxonomy.