LOCATION MERRYVILLE LAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, siliceous, superactive, thermic Typic Glossaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Merryville silt loam-on a concave swale in pine woodland. (Colors for moist soil.)
A--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; many fine and medium roots; many fine root channels lined with dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) oxidation stains; extremely acid; gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Eg--4 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; common medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; many fine and very fine continuous vesicular pores; common fine root channels lined with yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) oxidation stains; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
B/E1--9 to 18 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam (Btg); weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard; friable; few fine and medium roots; many fine and very fine continuous vesicular pores; common distinct clay films on vertical faces of peds; pockets of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam (Eg) make up about 20 percent of this horizon; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
B/E2--18 to 26 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam (Btg); many fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard; firm; common fine and medium discontinuous vesicular pores in (Eg) parts of horizon; many distinct clay films lining pores, and common distinct clay films on all surfaces of most peds; pockets of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam (E) make up about 40 percent of this horizon; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
B/E3--26 to 35 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam (Btg); many fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; firm; common fine and medium discontinuous vesicular pores; common distinct clay films on surfaces of most peds; pockets of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam (Eg) make up about 20 percent of this horizon; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of B/E horizons is 12 to 30 inches)
Btg1--35 to 48 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam; many fine and medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) mottles; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; firm; common fine and very fine continuous vesicular pores; common distinct clay films on surfaces of most peds; common silt coats on vertical faces of prisms; common vertical seams of dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam; few pockets of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam, 1/4 to 2 inches in diameter, make up about 10 percent of this horizon; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg2--48 to 55 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) very fine sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; friable; common distinct clay films on all faces of most prisms; common strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) oxidation stains on most ped faces and lining root channels; few fine vertical seams and few krotovina 1 to 2 inches wide filled with dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Btg horizons is 15 to 30 inches)
2BCg1--55 to 72 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) very fine sand; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few patchy clay films on vertical faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
2BCg2--72 to 85 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) loamy fine sand; few fine distinct olive (5Y 5/4) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; common faint clay films on vertical faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2BCg horizons is 0 to 40 inches)
2Cg--85 to 99 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sand (uncoated); single grain; loose; coarse sand makes up about 25 percent of this horizon; few chert pebbles 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Beauregard Parish, Louisiana; 0.75 miles east of Merryville; 0.5 miles north of LA. Hwy. 110; 3200 feet east of Merryville High School; 60 feet north of gas pipeline; USGS Merryville Louisiana-Texas, 7.5 minute series topographic quadrangle; lat. 30 degrees 44 minute 42 seconds N. and long. 93 degrees 31 minutes 31 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 70 to more than 100 inches. Depth to sandy subsoil layers is 50 to 85 inches. Exchangeable sodium percentage of the argillic horizon is commonly 6 to 15 percent, but ranges from 1 to 15 percent. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
The Eg horizon and E part of B/E/E horizons have hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Mottles in shades of brown, range from few to many. Texture is silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
The Btg horizon and Btg part of the B/E horizon have hue of 10YR to 5 Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Mottles, in shades of brown range from few to many. Texture is commonly silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam, but some pedons have thin strata of silty clay loam or clay loam in the Btg horizon.
The 2BCg and 2Cg horizons have the same range in colors as the Btg horizon. Chert pebbles range from 0 to 5 percent. Texture is sand, very fine sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Plank (tentative) soils in the same family, and Basile, Brimstone, Caddo, Evadale, Frost, Guyton, Jasco, Leton, Mollville, and Waller series in related families. Plank soils do not have hue yellower than 10YR in the B and C horizon. Basile, Brimstone, Caddo, Frost, Guyton, and Leton soils have fine-silty particle-size control sections. Evadale soils have fine textured particle-size control sections. Jasco soils have a fragipan. Mollville and Waller soils have fine-loamy particle-size control sections.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Merryville soils are on nearly level and depressed areas on stream terraces. Slope gradients are less than 1 percent. These soils formed in stratified loamy and sandy alluvial sediments. Mean annual temperature ranges from 57 to 68 degrees F. and average rainfall averages 45 to 59 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Merryville soils commonly are near Bearhead, Bernaldo, Besner, Bienville, Cahaba, Dubach, Estes, and Urbo soils. Bearhead and Besner soils are on higher positions on mounds and elongated ridges, are well drained and have a coarse loamy control section. The Bernaldo, Cahaba, and Dubach soils are at higher elevations and have fine loamy control sections. Bienville soils are in higher positions and have sandy control sections. Urbo soils are at lower elevations on floodplains and have a fine texture control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Merryville soils are poorly drained. Runoff is very slow to ponded. Permeability is slow; internal drainage is very slow. A seasonal high water table is at a depth of 0 to 1.5 feet during the winter and early spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: Almost all areas of Merryville soils are in pine forest mixed with small amounts of hardwood. A few small areas are used for pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West Coastal Plain of Louisiana and possibly Texas and Oklahoma. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beauregard Parish, Louisiana; 1992. Name is derived from a small community in Beauregard Parish.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly mapped as Mollville soils.
Diagnostic horizons and features:
Ochric epipedon..........................0 to 9 inches
Albic horizon............................4 to 9 inches
Glossic horizon.........................9 to 35 inches
Argillic horizon.......................9 to 55 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA: S90LA011-18 and S91LA011-19