LOCATION PALACIOS TX
Established Series
Rev. WLM-RM
02/2015
PALACIOS SERIES
The Palacios series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in loamy and clayey alluvial sediments. These nearly level soils are on flats on low coastal plains, mainly with elevation less than 4.6 m (15 ft). Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent, but are typically less than 1 percent.percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1016 mm (40 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 21 degrees C (70 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Aquic Natrudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Palacios loam--on a nearly level coastal plain in pastureland at 2.7 m (9 ft) elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 in); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common fine pores; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm [3 to 8 in] thick)
Btng1--18 to 36 cm (7 to 14 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak coarse columnar structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few fine pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds; moderately sodic; very slightly saline; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (15 to 56 cm [6 to 22 in] thick)
Btng2--36 to 69 cm (14 to 27 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; few fine pores; many thin clay films on faces of peds; common fine dark concretions; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; few fine fant brown (10YR 4/3) masses of oxidized iron; moderately sodic; moderately saline; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (30 to 64 cm [12 to 25 in] thick)
Btng3--69 to 102 cm (27 to 40 in); gray (10YR 5/1) clay, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; common thin clay films; few fine distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) masses of oxidized iron ; moderately sodic; moderately saline; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (30 to 58 cm [12 to 23 in] thick)
BtCng--102 to 178 cm (40 to 70 in); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few patchy clay films; many fine very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) iron-manganese concretions; common fine faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; moderately sodic; moderately saline; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (36 to 81 cm [14 to 32 in] thick)
BtCkng--178 to 203 cm (70 to 80 in); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; few patch clay films; common fine and medium concretions of calcium carbonate; many medium distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of oxidized iron; moderately sodic; moderately saline; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Texas; from the intersection of Farm Road 172 and State Highway 35 in Weedhaven, 8.4 miles east on State Highway 35 to Farm Road 3280, 2 miles south on Farm Road 3280 to a shell ranch road, 1.3 miles west on ranch road, and 25 ft south in pastureland. Turtle Bay USGS Quadrangle; Latitude: 28 degrees, 41 minutes, 22.32 seconds N; Longitude: 96 degrees, 20 minutes 44.29 seconds W. WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 152 cm (60 in) to more than 203 cm (80 in).
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 2 to 6 in the A or Ap horizon, 13 to 30 in the upper 41 cm (16 in) of the Bt horizon, and from 13 to 40 to a depth of 203 cm (80 in) in the Bt and BC horizons.
Electrical Conductivity: A horizon is less than 2 mmhos/cm. In the upper part of the Bt horizon the salinity range is from 2 to 8 mmhos/cm and below it is from 4 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Depth to soft masses or concretions of calcium carbonate: more than 71 cm (28 in).
Iron-manganese concretions: 1 to 7 mm in diameter range from none to a few throughout.
A or Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: clay loam, or loam. It is hard or very hard and massive when dry.
Redox concentrations: amount-none to few, shades-brown or yellow
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
Btng horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 6
Chroma: 2 or less.
Texture: clay, silty clay, silty clay loam or clay loam.
Redox concentrations: amount-none or few, shades-brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-none to common, shades-gray
Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
Below 71 cm (28 in), concretions of calcium carbonate range from none to about 5 percent by volume.
BtCtng horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 to 6,
Texture: silty clay, silty clay loam, clay, or clay loam.
Redox concentrations: amount-none to many, shades-brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-none to many, shades-gray
Concretions of calcium carbonate: none to about 5 percent by volume.
Reaction: neutral or moderately alkaline.
BtCkng horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: clay or silty clay.
Redox concentrations: amount-few to many, shades-brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-none to many, shades-gray
Concretions of calcium carbonate: none to common throughout.
Effervescence: very slight to strong
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Some pedons have a 2C horizon below 152 cm (60 in) that has colors in shades of red, brown or gray.
Texture: very fine sandy loam, silt loam or silty clay loam.
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. Similar soils include
Dietrich,
Jarron,
Livco,
Matagorda,
Narta,
Piasa, and
Willamar series.
Dietrich and
Willamar soils: are fine-loamy and have mixed mineralogy.
Jarron and
Matagorda soils: have mixed mineralogy
Livco soils: do not have aquic conditions within 75 cm (30 in) of the surface
Narta soils: have less available water in the moisture control section due to greater salinity.
Piasa soils: have mean annual temperatures less than 59 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey and loamy sediments of the Pleistocene Age Beaumont Formation
Landscape: coastal uplands within 10 miles of the Gulf Coast
Slope: 0 to 3 percent, are usually less than 1 percent, but range to 5 percent near drainageways
Mean annual precipitation: 940 to 1,219 mm (37 to 48 in)
Mean annual air temperature: 20.6 to 21.7 degrees C (69 to 72 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 275 to 300
Elevation: 0.9 to 4.6 m (3 to 15 ft), but most areas are below 3 m (10 ft); Storm surges cover most areas below an elevation of 4.6 m (15 ft) once every 10 to 20 years.
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 48 to 62
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Dacosta,
Francitas,
Laewest,
Livia,
Matagorda,
Telferner, and
Veston series.
Dacosta,
Laewest,
Matagorda, and
Telferner soils: at slightly higher elevations.
Dacosta and
Telferner soils: do not have a natric horizon.
Francitas,
Laewest, and
Veston soils: do not have an argillic horizon.
Francitas and
Livia soils: on a similar landform and at similar elevations.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somwehat poorly drained; runoff is high; very slow permeability. Water perches on top of the natric horizon for periods of 1 to 5 weeks following extended heavy rain. These soils are subject to flooding 1 to 5 times in 100 years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland and rangeland. About 60 percent is used for cropland, almost exclusively for rice in a rice-unimproved pasture rotation. A few areas are used for corn and grain sorghum. Native grasses are salt tolerant species such as gulf cordgrass, marshhay cordgrass, seashore saltgrass, low panicums, knotroot bristlegrass, and shoregrass. Woody invaders are mostly stunted mesquite, bushy sea-oxeye, and cactus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Texas middle Gulf Coast Prairies. LRR- T; MLRA-150B (Gulf Coast Saline Prairies. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County, Texas; 1986. The name is from a small town in Matagorda County, near the series type location. The classification was changed from Mollic Natraqualfs to Aquic Natrudalfs during the Soil Data Join and Recorrelation initiative. These soils do meet the requirements for aquic conditions for the Aqualfs subgroup.
REMARKS: Palacios soils were formerly included with the Livia series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 in) (intergrading to a mollic epipedon, dark colored, very hard and massive Ap horizon).
Natric horizon: 18 to 203 cm (7 to 80 in) (Btng1, Btng2, Btng3, BtCng, and BtCkng horizons).
Argillic horizon: 18 to 20 cm (7 to 80 in) (Btng1, Btng2, Btng3, BtCng, and BtCkn horizons)
Redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less: 36 to 69 cm (14 to 27 in)
ADDITIONAL DATA: None
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.