LOCATION LAKE CHARLES TX+AR
Established Series
Rev. GLL-JKW-RM
03/2016
LAKE CHARLES SERIES
The Lake Charles series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in clayey sediments. These soils are on broad coastal prairies. Slopes are mainly less than 1 percent, but range from 0 to 8 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Typic Hapluderts
TYPICAL PEDON: Lake Charles clay--pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 10 cm, (0.0 to 3.9 in); black (2.5Y 2/1), clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure parts to moderate medium granular; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 10 percent faint pressure faces; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--10 to 29 cm, (3.9 to 11.4 in); black (2.5Y 2/1), clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 30 percent distinct pressure faces; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 8 to 64 cm [3 to 25 in])
Bss1--29 to 61 cm, (11.4 to 24.0 in); black (2.5Y 2/1), clay; weak medium wedge structure parts to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common distinct intersecting slickensides that are tilted at 50 to 65 degrees to the horizontal; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bss2--61 to 103 cm, (24.0 to 40.6 in); very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1), clay; strong medium and coarse wedge structure parts to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; very few crayfish krotovina filled with yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) clay; many prominent intersecting slickensides that are tilted 30 to 40 degrees to the horizontal; very slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bss3--103 to 135 cm, (40.6 to 53.1 in); very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1), clay; strong medium and coarse wedge structure parts to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; 1 percent fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese nodules; very few crayfish krotovina filled with yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) clay; many prominent intersecting slickensides that are tilted at 45 to 60 degrees to the horizontal; very slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bss horizons is 38 to 140 cm [15 to 55 in])
Bkss1--135 to 158 cm, (53.1 to 62.2 in); dark gray (2.5Y 4/1), clay; moderate medium and coarse wedge structure parts to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; very few crayfish krotovina filled with yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) clay; common prominent intersecting slickensides that are tilted 35 to 45 degrees to the horizontal; 1 percent fine uncoated nodules of calcium carbonate; 2 percent nodules of calcium carbonate coated with strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron; very slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bkss2--158 to 175 cm, (62.2 to 68.9 in); 60 percent gray (2.5Y 5/1) and 20 percent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) and 20 percent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3), clay; weak coarse wedge structure parts to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common prominent intersecting slickensides that are tilted at 30 to 45 degrees to the horizontal; 3 percent fine and medium nodules of calcium carbonate coated with brown (10YR 4/3) iron; 2 percent uncoated nodules of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bkss3--175 to 193 cm, (68.9 to 76.0 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6), clay; moderate coarse wedge structure parts to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; 5 percent crayfish krotovinas filled with yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay and few fine nodules of calcium carbonate; common distinct intersecting slickensides that are tilted at 35 to 40 degrees to the horizontal on horizontal faces of peds; 1 percent fine prominent light greenish gray (5GY 7/1) iron depletions with clear boundaries on surfaces of slickensides; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bkss4--193 to 216 cm , (76.0 to 85.0 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6), clay; weak coarse wedge structure parts to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky, very plastic; common distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) intersecting slickensides that are tilted 30 to 35 degrees to the horizontal; 7 percent fine and medium prominent light greenish gray (5GY 7/1) iron depletions with sharp boundaries on surfaces of slickensides; few fine rounded concretions of calcium carbonate coated with yellow (10YR 7/8) iron; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bkss horizons is 54 to 157 cm [21 to 62 in])
TYPE LOCATION: Fort Bend County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highway 36 and Farm Road 1994 in Guy, 4.5 miles east on Farm Road 1994 to ranch road; 0.2 mile north on ranch road in range. (Smithers Lake USGS Quad; Latitude: 29 degrees 24 minutes 10.30 seconds north; Longitude: 95 degrees 43 minutes 32.30 seconds west; NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
This is a cyclic soil and undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microknolls 15 to 38 cm (6 to 15 in) higher than microdepressions. Distance from the center of the microknoll to the center of the microdepression ranges from 1.2 to 4.9 m (4 to 16 ft). The microknoll makes up about 20 percent, the intermediate or area between the knoll and depression about 60 percent, and the microdepression about 20 percent or less. The angle of the slickenside ranges from about 10 to 65 degrees from horizontal and tend to be more vertical in microknolls than in microdepressions. The amplitude of waviness between mollic colored matrix in the upper part of the solum and the higher value colors in the lower part ranges from 30 to 60 inches. When dry, the soil has cracks 1 to 5 cm (1/2 to 2 in) wide at the surface and extend to a depth of 30 cm (12 in) or more. Cracks remain open for 60 to 90 cumulative days in most years
Depth to slickensides: 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 in)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 45 to 60 percent
A Horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or N
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1
Texture: clay
Calcium carbonate: amount- 0 to 2 percent mostly in microhigh; kind- nodules
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline
Bss Horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or N
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1
Texture: clay
Calcium carbonate: amount- 0 to 2 percent mostly in microhigh; kind- nodules
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline
Bkss Horizon:
(Upper part)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay
Redox concentrations: amount- 0 to 12 percent; color- red, brown, or yellow
Calcium carbonate: amount- 0 to 8 percent; kind- nodules
Effervescence: very slight to strong
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline
Bkss Horizon:
(Lower part)
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1or 2
Texture: clay or silty clay
Redox concentrations: amount- 0 to 12 percent; color- red, brown, or yellow
Calcium carbonate: amount- 0 to 8 percent; kind- nodules
Effervescence: slight to strong
Reaction: neutral to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Francitas (TX),
Ganado (TX), and
Laewest (TX) series in the same family, and the similar
League (TX) and
Pledger (TX) series.
Francitas soils: Sodium Adsorption Ratio of more than 15 within 100 cm (40 in).
Ganado soils: on floodplains.
Laewest soils: have more amplitude of waviness and are dry in the moisture control section for slightly longer periods.
League soils: are classified as Dystruderts and are somewhat poorly drained.
Pledger soils: have a very-fine particle-size control section;
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey fluviomarine deposits derived from the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene age
Landscape: flat coastal plains
Landform: relict backswamp
Slope: 0 to 8 percent
Soil Moisture: An Udic soil moisture regime. When dry, the soil has cracks 1 to 5 cm (1/2 to 2 in) wide at the surface and extend to a depth of 30 cm (12 in) or more. Cracks remain open for 60 to 90 cumulative days in most years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 21.7 to 22.2 degrees C (71 to 72 degrees F)
Mean annual air temperature range: 19.5 to 21.7 degrees C (67 to 71 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation range: 1092 to 1245 mm (43 to 49 in)
Precipitation Pattern: Rainfall is mostly uniform throughout the year with slight peaks in the spring and fall months.
Frost-free period: 270 to 300 days
Elevation: 4.6 to 30.5 m (15 to 100 ft)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the
Bacliff (TX),
Bernard (TX),
Edna (TX),
Pledger, and
Verland (TX) series.
Bacliff: poorly drained; on a slightly lower position on a similar landform.
Bernard,
Edna and
Verland soils: have a loamy surface layer; on a slightly higher position on a similar landform.
Pledger soils: on floodplains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is very slow. Water enters the soil rapidly when cracked, but very slow when wet and cracks are closed. Runoff is high on 0 to 1 percent slopes and very high on slopes greater than 1 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly in cultivation and native pasture. Crops are corn, cotton, rice, and grain sorghum. Native grasses include little bluestem, indiangrass, eastern gamagrass, switchgrass, big bluestem, and brownseed paspalum. Most areas have scattered live oak, water oak, elm, hackberry, and huisache trees. Pine trees have encroached in some areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Texas mainly between the Colorado and Trinity Rivers of Texas. Land Resource Region T; Major Land Resource Area 150A. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana; 1901.
REMARKS: Classification changed from thermic Typic Pelluderts to hyperthermic Typic Hapluderts 3/94 based on Amendment 16 to Soil Taxonomy. Temperature regime changed based on local data and study by Texas Agriculture Experiment Station. The series type location was moved to the current location during the Soil Data Join and Recorrelation initiative to a location that is more central to the map unit concept
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 135 cm (0 to 53.1) (A and Bss horizons)
Secondary carbonates: 135 to 203 cm (53.1 to 80) (Bkss hoizons)
Slickensides: 29 to 203 cm (11.4 to 80 in)
Vertisol feature: Slickensides and cracks that open and close one or more times a year and remain open for less than 90 cumulative days in most years.
ADDITIONAL DATA: G. W. Kunze, H. Oakes, and M. E. Bloodworth, Grumusols of the Coast Prairie of Texas. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, Vol. 27, No. 4, July-August, 1963. National Soil Survey Laboratory: S76TX-39-1, S76TX-39-2, S76TX-39-3, S76TX-39-4. SSIR-30; S55TX-79-94, S55TX-101-90, S55TX-235-90, S55TX-241-90. S09TX1572313; 99TX157001, and 99TX481001
Soil Interpretation Record Number: TX0020.
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.