LOCATION ORCADIA TX

Established Series
REL-RD-RM
09/2014

ORCADIA SERIES

The Orcadia series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils. These nearly level soils formed in loamy fluviomarine deposits derived from the Beaumont Formation. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1397 mm (55 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 20.5 degrees C (degrees 69 F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Oxyaquic Glossudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Orcadia silt loam--pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 13 cm, (0 to 5 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm; many fine and few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron accumulations along root channels; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 26 cm [4 to 10 in] thick)

E--13 to 25 cm, (5 to 10 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; common fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; common medium distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron accumulations lining pores with clear boundaries; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) iron accumulations along root channels with sharp boundaries; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 19 cm [3 to 8 in] thick)

Bt/E--25 to 38 cm, (10 to 15 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam(Bt); moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; common fine and medium roots along surface of prisms; common fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on surfaces of peds; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron accumulations with clear boundaries on surface of peds; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) iron accumulations along root channels with sharp boundaries; 30 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) albic material (E) on surface of prisms; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (13 to 36 cm [5 to 14 in] thick)

Bt1--38 to 74 cm, (15 to 29 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine roots along surface of peds; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films; few pressure faces; common fine and medium prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6) and few fine red (10R 4/6) iron accumulations with sharp boundaries inside peds; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 14 to 102 cm [6 to 40 in] thick.)

Bt2--74 to 114 cm, (29 to 45 in); gray (10YR 5/1) clay; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine roots along surface of peds; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common pressure faces; common fine and medium prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6) and few fine prominent red (10R 4/6) iron accumulations with sharp boundaries inside peds; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Btg1--114 to 150 cm, (45 to 59 in); gray (10YR 5/1) clay; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine roots along surface of peds; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common pressure faces; common prominent slickensides; many fine and medium prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6); few fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) iron accumulations with sharp boundaries inside peds; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Btg2--150 to 178 cm, (59 to 70 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine roots along ped faces; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few pressure faces; common fine and medium prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6) and common fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) iron accumulations with sharp boundaries inside peds; 5 percent medium faint light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions with diffuse boundaries between prism faces; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizons is 36 to 136 cm [14 to 54 in] thick.)

Btg3--178 to 203 cm, (70 to 80 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine roots along surface of peds; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few pressure faces; common fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and common fine prominent reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) iron accumulations with sharp boundaries inside peds; 5 percent medium faint light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions with diffuse boundaries between prism surfaces; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Orange County, TX; from the intersection of Texas Highway 73 and 87 and Farm Road 1442 in Bridge City; 2.2 miles east on Farm Road 1442; 1.0 mile south on private road; 400 ft east of road in pasture. USGS topographic quadrangle: Orangefield; Latitude: 30 degrees, 01.1 minutes, 14 seconds N; Longitude: 93 degrees, 47 minutes, 32 seconds W; WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: A udic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is moist in some or all parts for more than 275 days in normal years. The summer months are the driest, while fall through spring months are the wettest months.
Mean annual soil temperature: 21.7 to 22.2 degrees C (71 to 72 degrees F)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content of coarse-silty part: 12 to 18 percent
Clay content of fine part: 38 to 56 percent

A or Ap (where present) Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 (pedons with value of 3 are less than 25 cm [10 in] thick)
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: very fine sandy loam, silt loam or loam
Clay content: 6 to 16 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-few or common, location-lining pores and along root channels; shades-brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-none to common, location-adjacent to iron accumulations, shades-gray
Electrical Conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 10 (values more than 2 are associated with storm surge areas)
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

E Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: very fine sandy loam, silt loam or loam
Clay content: 6 to 15 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-common, location- lining pores and along root channels; shades-brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-none to common, location-adjacent to iron accumulations, shades-gray
Electrical Conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 6 (values more than 2 are associated with storm surge areas)
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

Bt/E Horizon
(Bt part)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
(E part)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam or loam
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-common, location-lining pore and along root channels, shades-brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-common, location-adjacent to iron accumulations, shades-gray
Electrical Conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 2 to 12 (values more than 6 are associated with storm surge areas)
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

Bt Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 35 to 57 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-common or many, location-matrix, lining pores and along root channels, shades-brown, red or yellow (red iron accumulations are not many)
Redox depletions: amount-common or many, location-adjacent to iron accumulations, shades-gray
Electrical Conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 2 to 12 (values more than 6 are associated with storm surge areas)
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly alkaline

Btg Horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silty clay or clay
Clay content: 20 to 50 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-common or many, location-matrix, lining pores and along root channels, shades-brown, red or yellow (red iron accumulations are not many)
Redox depletions: amount-common or many, location-adjacent to iron accumulations, shades-gray
Electrical Conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 2 to 12 (values more than 6 are associated with storm surge areas)
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family. Similar soils are Acadia, Anahuac, Aldine, Gist, Vidrine, and Texla.

Acadia soils: do not have a glossic horizon.
Anahuac and Vidrine: are in a fine family
Aldine soils: have a fine-silty over clayey particle-size control section.
Gist soils: have a coarse-silty particle-size control section.
Texla soils: have a fine-silty particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy fluviomarine deposits derived from the Beaumont Formation of Pleistocene age
Landscape: flat coastal plains
Landform: flats
Microfeature: relict point bars and natural levees
Slope: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual precipitation range: 1219 to 1575 mm (48 to 62 in)
Precipitation Pattern: Rainfall is fairly uniform throughout the year with slight peaks in the fall and spring months.
Mean annual air temperature range: 20.0 to 22.2 degrees C (68 to 72 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 270 to 300 days
Elevation: 3 to 30.5 m (10 to 100 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aris, Anahuac, Levac, Meaton, Morey, Mocarey, and the Spindletop series.

Aris soils: are gray throughout due to wetness; are on flats
Anahuac and Orcadia soils: are on a broader landform
Levac soils: somewhat poorly drained; are truncated pimple mounds
Mocarey soils: in a fine-loamy family similar landform
Meaton and Morey soils: in a fine-silty family; similar landform
Spindletop soils: are in a fine family; are on pimple mounds

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is very high unless the glossic horizon has a saturated hydraulic conductivity of 0.6 or greater that extends below a depth of 50 cm (20 in); in which case, the runoff is high. The soil is rarely flooded for very brief to brief periods. Flooding occurs as a result of storm surge during tropical storms which occurs in areas less than 4.6 m (15 ft) elevation. These soils have episaturation from 20 to 100 cm (8 to 40 in) below the soil surface from January to March and endosaturation from 122 to 203 cm (48 to 80 in) below the surface during the same period.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for pasture and rangeland. Some areas are used for woodland where pine and hardwoods have encroached. Pastures are bahiagrass or bermudagrass. Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses, mainly andropogons, panicum, and paspalums.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Texas and possibly Louisiana; Land Resource Region T; MLRA 150A Gulf Coast Prairies; the series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Orange County, Texas; 1996.

REMARKS: The Orcadia soils were formerly included with the Acadia and Aldine series. The classification was changed during the update of MLRA 150A to reflect lab data at the type location.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in) (A and E horizons).

Albic horizon: 13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 in) (E horizon).

Glossic horizon: 25 to 38 cm (10 to 15 in) (Bt/E horizon).

Argillic horizon: 25 to 203 cm (10 to 80 in) (Bt/E, Bt1, Bt2,Btg1, Btg2, Btg3 horizons).

Oxyaquic feature: They are saturated in the subsurface layer for 30 or more days in normal years.

Additional comments: At the series type location the Bt/E horizon has 12.8 percent clay and the Bt1 has 48.3 percent clay.

ADDITIONAL DATA: TAMU data (S94TX-361-001) from type location in Orange County.

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.