LOCATION SAWLIT TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Aquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sawlit loam--in native pasture. (colors are for moist soil conditions)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine and medium roots; few fine, medium and coarse pores; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron stains along some root channels; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
E--4 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; few dark grayish brown worm casts; common faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron stains along some root channels; thin light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions along some pores and root channels; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine and medium roots; common fine and few medium pores; few faint clay films on surfaces of peds; common dark grayish brown worm casts; few medium rounded ironstone pebbles; prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions are along some pores and root channels; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--15 to 21 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; few faint clay films on surfaces of peds; few dark grayish brown worm casts; few medium rounded ironstone pebbles; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined Bt horizons are 8 to 20 inches thick)
Bt/E1--21 to 29 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm; few fine and medium roots; few coarse pores; common fine and medium pores; common faint clay films on surfaces of prisms; common medium rounded ironstone pebbles; 15 percent intrusions of albic materials in the form of streaks, pockets and coatings along surfaces of prisms (E); many fine and medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; common fine and medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; few fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt/E2--29 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; common faint clay films on surfaces of prisms; 20 percent intrusions of albic materials in the form of streaks, pockets and coatings along surfaces of prisms (E); many coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; many coarse prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (the Bt/E horizons is 8 to 24 inches thick)
2Bt--36 to 80 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common faint clay films on surfaces of some peds; few pressure faces; about 3 percent streaks and pockets of albic material; many medium and coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; many medium and coarse prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Rusk County, Texas; From Brachfield at the intersection of Farm Road 840 and Farm Road 1798; 2.8 miles northeast on Farm Road 1798; site is 0.1 of a mile west in native pasture. (Latitude: 32 degrees, 34 minutes, 29 seconds north; Longitude: 94 degrees, 37 minutes, 24 seconds west)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is more than 80 inches thick. Base saturation ranges from 45 to 75 percent at 50 inches below the top of the argillic horizon. Thickness of the ochric epipedon ranges from 7 to 20 inches. Depth to the clayey discontinuity (2Bt horizon) ranges from 26 to 40 inches. Average clay content of the control section ranges from 25 to 35 percent. Weighted average fine sand and coarser in the particle-size control section ranges from 15 to 30 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Iron stains along root channels range from none to few with colors in shades of brown or red. Texture is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam. Rounded ironstone and/or quartzite pebbles range from none to few. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid unless limed.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value 5 to 7 and chroma of 3 or 4. Iron stains along root channels range from none to common with colors in shades of brown or red. Texture is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam. Rounded ironstone and/or quartzite pebbles range from none to few. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid unless limed.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 6 or 8. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of red, yellow or brown, and iron depletions in shades of gray range from few to common, mainly in the lower part. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam. Rounded ironstone and/or quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 4 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The Bt/E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, with value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 6 or 8, with few to many masses of iron accumulations in shades of red or brown, and iron depletions in shades of gray. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam. Albic materials (E) range from 15 to 35 percent. Brittle peds range from 0 to 15 percent. Rounded ironstone and/or quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 4 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The 2Bt horizon has matrix colors in hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value 5 or 6 and chroma of 1 to 6. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown, yellow and gray range from few to many or the matrix is mixed in these colors. Albic materials range from 0 to 4 percent. Texture is clay loam or clay with 35 to 50 percent clay. The clay content is less than 35 percent and texture is clay loam or sandy clay loam below a depth of 60 inches in some pedons. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid. Crystals of gypsum and/or fine masses of barite range from none to common.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Penning series in the same family, and the Alazan, Kurth, Metcalf, Pooleville, Raino, Sawtown, and Timpson series in closely related families. Alazan and Kurth soils do not have a clayey discontinuity. Penning soils have a solum 40 to 60 inches thick over clay shale or mudstone. Metcalf and Pooleville soils have a fine-silty control section. Raino soils have a fine-loamy over clayey control section. Sawtown soils do not have aquic conditions within the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon. Timpson soils do not have aquic conditions within a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on nearly level mounded stream terraces of Pleistocene age. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They typically are at elevations 25 to about 100 feet above the present flood plains. Sawlit soils are mainly on slightly concave intermound positions on the landscape in complex with well drained soils on convex mounds. They also occur less extensively on positions at the head of drains and along small drainageways. They formed in loamy sediments that have been reworked by wind, over a clayey discontinuity. Mean annual temperature ranges from 65 to 67 degrees F. The growing season is 235 to 250 days. Average annual precipitation is 40 to 46 inches. Elevation ranges from 190 to 440 feet above sea level. The Thornthwaite P-E index ranges from 66 to 80.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the closely related Alazan and Sawtown soils, and the Bernaldo and Latex soils. Alazan soils typically are on slightly lower positions. Bernaldo and Latex soils are well drained and are on similar landscape positions. Sawtown soils are well drained, have a thicker epipedon, and are on adjoining mounds.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: These soils are very slowly permeable and moderately well drained. Rate of runoff is medium on slopes up to 1 percent, and high on slopes more than 1 percent. The soil is saturated in the layers below a depth of 1.5 to 3.0 feet and above the discontinuity for brief to long periods during January through May for a cumulative annual duration of 1 to 3 months in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for both pasture and woodland. Pastures are mainly improved bermudagrass or bahiagrass. Woodland is mainly loblolly and shortleaf pine. A few areas are cultivated to corn or small grain for grazing.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Coastal Plain (MLRA 133B) in eastern Texas. This soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rusk County, Texas 1993. The name Sawlit is coined.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included with Keithville, Kullit, or Sawyer series. The series was assigned to an active activity class in 1999.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the type location pedon include:
Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 9 inches (A and E horizons).
Argillic horizon -- 9 to 80 inches (Bt, Bt/E, and 2Bt horizons).
Glossic horizon -- 21 to 36 inches (Bt/E horizons).
Aquic conditions -- 9 to 21 inches (Bt horizon).