LOCATION SPURGER TX+LA

Established Series
CLN-JKW-RM
07/2014

SPURGER SERIES

The Spurger series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in clayey and sandy alluvium. These nearly level to gently sloping soils are on terraces of late Pleistocene age. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 20.0 degrees C (68 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 1473 mm (58 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Oxyaquic Vertic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Spurger loam in an area of Spurger-Caneyhead complex, 0 to 1 percent slopes-forest.(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 13 cm, (0 to 5 in); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium few coarse roots; many coarse faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear and sharp boundaries; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.(8 to 18 cm [3 to 7 in] thick)

E--13 to 23 cm, (5 to 9 in); brown (10YR 5/3) loam; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine and medium roots, few coarse roots; many coarse faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) masses of iron accumulation with clear boundaries in matrix; few medium faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear and sharp boundaries in matrix; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 25 cm [3 to 10 in] thick)

Bt1--23 to 64 cm, (9 to 25 in); dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few medium and coarse roots; few faint clay films on surfaces of peds; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation with clear and sharp boundaries in matrix; few light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in lower part; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 51 cm [10 to 20 in] thick)

Bt2--64 to 91 cm, (25 to 36 in); red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; moderate medium angular and subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few medium and coarse roots; common faint clay films on surfaces of peds; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation with clear and sharp boundaries in matrix; few medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions with sharp boundaries in matrix; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 38 cm [10 to 15 in] thick)

Bt3--91 to 109 cm, (36 to 43 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common faint clay films on surfaces of peds; few fine distinct red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation with clear and sharp boundaries in matrix; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions with sharp boundaries in matrix; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm [5 to 10 in] thick)

2BtC--109 to 165 cm, (43 to 65 in); 70 percent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and 30 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few distinct clay films; few medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions with sharp boundaries in matrix; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 64 cm [10 to 25 in] thick)

2BC--165 to 203 cm, (65 to 80 in); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sand; single grained, loose; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation with sharp boundaries in matrix; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Newton County, Texas; from the intersection of U. S. Highway 96 and Farm Road 82 in Kirbyville, Texas, 5.7 miles east along Farm Road 82; 3.2 miles south on Texas Highway 87, 3.0 miles east and 0.4 mile south on county road, and 100 feet west in forest. Bancroft USGS quadrangle; Latitude: 30 degrees, 33 minutes, 45 seconds N; Longitude: 93 degrees, 44 minutes, 33 seconds; WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

The solum thickness ranges from 102 to 178 cm (40 to 70 in).
Base saturation ranges from 35 to 60 percent at 125 cm (about 50 in) below the top of the argillic horizon.

Soil Moisture: An udic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in some part for less than 60 days in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 20.6 to 21.7 degrees C (69 to 71 degrees F.)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 40 to 55 percent

A Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam
Redox depletions: amount- common to many, size-fine, color-shades of gray; contrast-faint, boundary-clear and sharp, location-on surfaces of peds or in matrix
Reaction: extremely acid to strongly acid

E Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam
Redox concentrations: amount-common to many, size-fine, color-shades of brown, contrast-faint or distinct, boundary-clear, location-in matrix
Redox depletions: amount-few to common, size-fine or medium, color-shades of gray; contrast-faint, boundary-clear and sharp, location-on surfaces of peds or in matrix
Reaction: extremely acid to strongly acid

The upper Bt Horizons
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Redox concentrations: amount-common to many, size-fine or medium, color-shades of brown, yellow, or red, contrast-faint or distinct, boundary-sharp, location-in matrix
Redox depletions: amount-few to many, size-fine or medium, color-shades of gray; contrast-faint, boundary-clear and sharp, location-on surfaces of peds or in matrix
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

The lower Bt Horizons
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Redox concentrations: amount-common to many, size-fine or medium, color-shades of brown, yellow, or red, contrast-faint or distinct, boundary-sharp, location-in matrix
Redox depletions: amount-few to common, size-fine or medium, color-shades of gray; contrast-faint, boundary-clear and sharp, location-on surfaces of peds or in matrix
Albic material: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

2BtC or 2BCtg Horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 or 8
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Redox concentrations: amount-common to many, size-fine or medium, color-shades of brown, yellow, or red, contrast-faint or distinct, boundary-sharp, location-in matrix
Redox depletions: amount-few to common, size-fine or medium, color-shades of gray; contrast-faint, boundary-clear and sharp, location-on surfaces of peds or in matrix
Albic material: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

2BC Horizons (where present)
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 or 8
Texture: fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, loamy sand, or sand with thin strata of clay loam, sandy clay loam, or loam in some pedons.
Redox concentrations: amount-few, size-fine or medium, color-shades of brown, yellow, or red, contrast-faint or distinct, boundary-sharp, location-in matrix
Redox depletions: amount-few, size-fine or medium, color-shades of gray; contrast-faint, boundary-clear and sharp, location-in matrix
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Herty (TX) series. Similar soils are the Buna, Telferner, and Levac series.
Herty soils: paralithic contact starting at 112 cm (44) from the surface.
Buna soils: do not have saturation for at least 30 cumulative or 20 consecutive days.
Telerner and Levac soils: in a hyperthermic soil temperature regime.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy alluvium derived from mixed origin of late Pleistocene age
Landform: Terrace
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 1219 to 1524 (48 to 60 in)
Precipitation pattern: Uniform throughout the year with slight peaks in spring and fall
Mean annual air temperature: 19.5 to 20.6 (67 to 69 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 240 to 300 days
Elevation: 4.6 to 46 m (15 to 150 feet

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bernaldo, Bienville, Gallime, and Molliville series in MLRA 133B and the Belrose, Caneyhead, Kenefick, and Votaw series in MLRA 152B.
Bernaldo, Bienville, and Gallime soils: on similar landscape positions. Bernaldo and Gallime soils are loamy throughout and Bienville soils are sandy throughout.
Molliville soils: loamy throughout and in depressions and drainageways.
Belrose and Kenefick soils: on similar landscape positions and are loamy throughout
Caneyhead soils: fine-silty particle-size control section and are in depressions
Votaw soils: sandy throughout and on similar landscape positions

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is slow. Runoff is medium on 0 to 1 percent slopes. Runoff is very high on 1 to 3 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for timber. Some areas are in pasture of improved bermudagrass or bahiagrass. Loblolly and shotleaf pine are dominant woodland trees with many oak species and other hardwoods.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Texas and western Louisiana; LRR T; MLRA 133B, and MLRA 152B; moderate extent

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Newton County, Texas, 1980. The name is from a small community in Tyler County, Texas.

REMARKS: The series is mapped dominantly on slopes of 0 to 3 percent. During the update of MLRA 152B, soils correlated to the Spurger series in some initial soil surveys with slope more than 3 percent are correlated to the Buna series. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Particle size control section: 23 to 73 cm (9 to 29 in) (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 in) (A and E horizon)

Argillic horizon: 23 to 165 cm (9 to 65 in) (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and 2BtC horizons)

Aquic conditions: 23 to 91 cm (9 to 36 in) from January to March for short periods

Abrupt textural change: At the upper boundary of the E and Bt1 horizon.

The clay content decreases by 20 percent (relative) or more from the maximum within 150 cm (about 60 in) of the soil surface.

Additional Comments: The series was reclassified in April 2000 to smectitic mineralogy to reflect laboratory data from Hardin County, Texas.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Data available from Texas A&M Soil Characterization Laboratory on sample S96TX-199-003 from Hardin County, Texas.

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.