LOCATION PORTALTO TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, active, hyperthermic Grossarenic Paleudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Portalto fine sand--rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; single grain; loose; many fine and medium roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 41 cm [3 to 16 in].)
E1--20 to 89 cm (8 to 35 in); light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sand, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry; single grain; loose; common fine and medium roots; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
E2--89 to 147 cm (35 to 58 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; single grain; loose; few fine roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizon is 38 to 102 cm [15 to 40 in].)
Btg1--147 to 163 cm (58 to 64 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable; few fine roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Btg2--163 to 170 cm (64 to 67 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak coarse blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; few clay bridges and films; 15 percent coarse and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron in matrix; 3 percent medium faint very pale brown (10YR 7/4) masses of oxidized iron in matrix; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg3--170 to 218 cm (67 to 86 in); gray (10YR 6/1) fine sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; 25 percent coarse and medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), yellow (10YR 7/6), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in matrix; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 41 to 119 cm [16 to 47 in].)
Cg--218 to 244 cm (86 to 96 in); greenish gray (5GY 5/1) fine sandy loam, greenish gray (5GY 6/1) dry; structureless; slightly hard, friable; common coarse distinct yellow (10YR 7/8) masses of oxidized iron; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Calhoun County, Texas; 11.2 miles east of Seadrift 0.3 mile east of intersection of Texas Highway 185 and Farm Road 1289; 110 feet south of right-of-way fence on mound in rangeland.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An udic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 8
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: fine sand or loamy fine sand
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid
E horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: fine sand or loamy fine sand
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid
Btg horizons
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 or 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Redox concentrations: 20 to 30 percent, coarse, throughout, yellowish and brownish
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid
Cg horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These include the
Cadillac (FL) and
Kuy (TX) series. Similar soils include the
Rhymes (TX) series.
Cadillac soils: are well drained and are underlain by limestone
Kuy soils: do not have a water table present and not subject to storm surge flooding
Rhymes soils: have a ustic moisture regime
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: sandy and loamy sediments of Quaternary age
Landscape: coastal plain
Landform: mounds and ridges on strand plain
Slope: 0 to 5 percent
Mean annual temperature: 20 to 22 degrees C (70 degrees to 72 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 914 to 1168 mm (36 to 46 in)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 46 to 62
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the
Dianola,
Rahal and
Roemer series.
Dianola soils: are on marine terraces and do not have an argillic horizon.
Rahal soils: are on marine terraces and have sandy epipedons less than 102 cm (40 in) thick.
Roemer soils: are on concave positions on marine terraces and have sandy epipedons less than 102 cm (40 in) thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is negligible. A water table is within 152 cm to 213 cm (60 to 84 in) for 2 to 6 months and within 122 cm (48 in) for shorter periods. Rare flooding results from cyclonic storm surge.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and pasture. Native vegetation includes seacoast bluestem, big bluestem, switchgrass, indiangrass, panicum, and paspalum species, crinkleawn, marshhay cordgrass, knotroot bristlegrass, and running live oak. Pastures are mainly improved bermudagrass. The ecological site is Coastal Sand, PE 31-44 (R150BY648TX).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Saline Prairies (MLRA 150B in LRR T) on coastal areas of southern Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Calhoun County, Texas; 1972.
REMARKS: This soil formerly was included in the Galveston series. Classification was changed in 2007 based on changes in Soil Taxonomy.
Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 147 cm to 198 cm (58 to 78 in)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 147 cm (0 to 58 in)
Argillic horizon: 147 to 218 cm (58 to 86 in)
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data from Calhoun County, Texas (70L763 and 70L766)
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006