LOCATION HOULKA MS+AL

Established Series
Rev. JLB-CRN-AMS
10/2018

HOULKA SERIES

The Houlka series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, soils that formed in clayey alluvium. Houlka soils are on flood plains of the Southern Coastal Plain and the Alabama and Mississippi Blackland Prairie. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1430 millimeters (56 inches), and the mean annual temperature is about 17 degrees C. (63 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Aeric Epiaquerts

TYPICAL PEDON: Houlka silty clay, in a cultivated field at an elevation of 76 meters (250 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).

Ap--0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; very sticky, plastic; many fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [13 to 23 centimeters thick (5 to 9 inches thick)].

Bss--20 to 61 centimeters (8 to 24 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay; moderate coarse angular blocky structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; firm; very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common large intersecting slickensides having polished and grooved surfaces; common fine faint brown (10YR 5/3) masses of oxidized iron; common fine brown (10YR 4/3) concretions of iron and manganese; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bssg1--61 to 97 centimeters (24 to 38 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay; moderate coarse angular blocky structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; firm; very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common large intersecting slickensides having polished and grooved surfaces; many fine and medium distinct brown (10YR 4/3) and common fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; common fine brown (10YR 4/3) concretions of iron and manganese; ; the areas of light brownish gray are iron depletions and parent material; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bssg2--97 to 165 centimeters (38 to 65 inches); gray (5Y 6/1) clay; massive; firm; very sticky, very plastic; common large intersecting slickensides having polished and grooved surfaces; many medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8), brown (7.5YR 4/4), and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; common fine brown (10YR 4/3) concretions of iron and manganese; ; the areas of gray are iron depletions and parent material; strongly acid. (Combined thickness of the Bss and Bssg horizons range from 102 to more than 152 centimeters (40 to more than 60 inches).

TYPE LOCATION: Monroe County, Mississippi; about 0.97 kilometers (0.6 miles) south and 1.93 kilometers (1.2 miles) east of Mulden; 152 meters (500 feet) north of road into a cultivated field on east side of creek; SW1/4, SW1/4 sec. 36, T. 15 S., R. 6 E.; Latitude. 33 degrees 43 minutes 31.09 seconds North. Longitude. 88 degrees 37 minutes 55.83 seconds West; WGS84; UTM 348778 East, 3732894 North, zone 16S.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is: 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches).
Depth to base of soil development: 0 to 165 centimeters (0 to 65 inches)
Thickness of the Ochric epipedon: 15 to 25 centimeters (6 to 10 inches)
Depth to Cambic horizon: 18 to 99 centimeters (7 to 39 inches)
Depth to masses of oxidized iron: 10 to 200 centimeters (4 to 79 inches)
Depth to iron and manganese concretions: 10 to 200 centimeters (4 to 79 inches)
Depth to iron depletions: 25 to 50 centimeters to 200 centimeters (10 to 20 inches to 79 inches)
Depth to slickensides: 18 to 75 centimeters (7 to 30 inches)
Redox features: Masses of oxidized iron and concretions of iron and manganese in shades of brown range from few to many. Iron depletions in shades of gray range from few to many.

Ap or A horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, clay loam, or clay
Clay content: 30 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 50 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or very strongly acid

AB horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR to 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2
Texture: sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, clay loam, or clay
Clay content: 30 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 50 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or very strongly acid

Bss horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 30 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or very strongly acid

Bssg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 30 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or very strongly acid

C horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 30 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or very strongly acid
In some pedons, the hue is neutral with a value of 4 to 7, moist.

COMPETING SERIES:
Roebuck soils have a hue of 7.5YR to 2.5YR in the subsoil and occur in the Cherokee Prairies Major Land Resource Area (MLRA 112).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: 0 to 200 centimeters (0 to 79 inches) clayey alluvium.
Landscape: Coastal plains (Blackland Prairie)
Landform: flood plains.
3D surface morphometry: talf
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Elevation: 29 to 88 meters (95 to 290 feet).
Mean annual air temperature: 11 to 24.5 degrees C (52 to 76 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 1170 to 1640 millimeters (46 to 64.5 inches)
Frost free days: 202 to 246 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
The Arkabutla, Belden, and Mathiston soils are fine-silty and are in slightly higher positions on natural levees.
The Leeper and Sucarnoochee soils are in positions similar to those of the Houlka soils and are less acid throughout.
Marietta soils are moderately well drained and are in slightly higher positions on natural levees.
Tuscumbia soils are poorly drained and are on slightly lower positions.
Una soils are poorly drained and are in depressions and have mixed mineralogy.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: Somewhat poorly drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat): very slow
Water features: No free water has been observed in these soils except on slickenside faces or in large root channels. The dark surface, subsurface and low chroma matrix colors are derived from the colors of the parent material and hydrology.
Flooding frequency: occasional or frequent
Flooding duration: brief or very brief
Ponding frequency and Duration: None

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas have been cleared. Cultivated crops such as cotton, corn, soybeans, and small grains are the dominant use. A moderate acreage is in pasture and hay. Wooded areas are in mixed hardwoods or loblolly pine plantations.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Major Land Resource Area: Southern Coastal Plain (MLRA 133A) and Alabama and Mississippi Blackland Prairie (MLRA 135A). Extent: Moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elmore County, Alabama; 1948.

REMARKS:
Particle size control section: 25 to 100 centimeters (10 to 40 inches) (Bss, Bssg1, and Bssg2 horizons)

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches Ap horizon)

Cambic horizon: 20 to 165 centimeters (8 to 65 inches Bss, Bssg1, and Bssg2 horizons)

Vertic features: intersecting slickensides, 20 to 165 centimeters (8 to 65 inches Bss, Bssg1, and Bssg2)

Masses of oxidized iron: 20 to 165 centimeters (8 to 65 inches)

Iron and manganese concretions: 20 to 165 centimeters (8 to 65 inches)

Iron depletions: 61 to 165 centimeters (24 to 65 inches).
Aeric Epiaquerts (pg. 308 Keys to Soil Taxonomy 12th edition.)

Soil classified according to the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

ADDITIONAL DATA:

OSD User Site ID: MS095HOULKA
OSD User Pedon ID: MS095HOULKA

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.