LOCATION STOWELL TX

Established Series
CMT-JDC-RM
07/2014

STOWELL SERIES

The Stowell series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, moderately permeable soils formed in loamy fluviomarine deposits derived from the Beaumont Formation. These nearly level to very gently sloping soils occur on relict beach ridges of coastal plains. 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: Loamy, siliceous, semiactive, hyperthermic Arenic Oxyaquic Glossudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Stowell loamy fine sand--rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 40 cm, (0 to 16 in); very dark brown (10YR 2/2), loamy fine sand; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many very fine roots and common fine roots throughout throughout; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (24 to 72 cm [10 to 28 in] thick)

E1--40 to 63 cm, (16 to 25 in); brown (10YR 4/3), loamy fine sand; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; common fine vesicular pores; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons is 21 to 69 cm [8 to 27 in])

E2--63 to 74 cm, (25 to 29 in); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), loamy fine sand; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout throughout; common fine tubular pores; few rodent krotovina; 2 percent medium distinct black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese nodules with sharp boundaries on surfaces along pores; 3 percent fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries on surfaces along pores; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

Bt/E--74 to 89 cm, (29 to 35 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) (Bt) and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) (E), fine sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parts to moderate medium subangular blocky, very friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine vesicular and common fine tubular pores; few rodent krotovina; 5 percent distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on all faces of peds; 4 percent medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries throughout; 15 percent coarse distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries throughout; 10 percent fine distinct gray (2.5Y 6/1) iron depletions with sharp boundaries throughout; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (11 to 31 cm [4 to 12 in] thick)

Bt1--89 to 113 cm, (35.0 to 45 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2), sandy clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parts to weak coarse subangular blocky; firm; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay films; 20 percent fine prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries throughout; 25 percent coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries throughout; very strongly acid, gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 28 to 86 cm [11 to 34 in])

Bt2--113 to 160 cm, (45 to 63 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2), fine sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parts to weak coarse subangular blocky; very friable; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few rodent krotovina filled with material from overlying horizons; 5 percent faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay films; 20 percent fine prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8), masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries throughout; 25 percent coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries throughout; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Btg--160 to 203 cm, (63 to 80 in); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2), fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2), clay films; few rodent krotovina filled with material from overlying horizons; 5 percent fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries throughout; 35 percent coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries in matrix; strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Chambers County, TX; from the intersection of FM 1668 and Farm to FM 1724; about 1 mile east on FM 1668; 0.25 mile south in pasture land. USGS topographic quadrangle: Monroe City; Latitude: 29 degrees 51 minutes 22.00 seconds N; Longitude: 94 degrees 33 minutes 43.00 seconds west; Datum: WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: 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: 23 to 33 percent
CEC/clay ratio: 0.25 to 0.35

A Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loamy fine sand or fine sand
Clay content: 3 to 9 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 2 percent, location-lining pores, shades-brown
Electrical Conductivity(mmhos/cm): 0 to 1
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 4
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

E Horizons
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 or 4
Texture: loamy fine sand or fine sand
Clay content: 1 to 9 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0 to 5 percent, location-lining pores, shades-brown
Electrical Conductivity(mmhos/cm): 0 to 1
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 4
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

Bt/E Horizon
Hue: 10YR
(Bt part)
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
(E part)
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 30 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-5 to 25 percent, location- throughout, shades-brown, red or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-2 to 10 percent, location-throughout, shades-gray
Electrical Conductivity(mmhos/cm): 0 to 1
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 3
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

Bt Horizons
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2
Texture: fine sandy loam,sandy clay loam, sandy clay, or clay
Clay content: 21 to 47 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-15 to 45 percent, location- throughout, shades-brown, red or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-0 to 10 percent, location-throughout, shades-gray
Electrical Conductivity(mmhos/cm): 0 to 1
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 3
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

Btg Horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 8 to 29 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-15 to 45 percent, location- throughout, shades-brown, red or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-0 to 10 percent, location-throughout, shades-gray, green or blue
Electrical Conductivity(mmhos/cm): 0 to 1
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 6
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are no series in the same family. Similar soils are the Craigen, Durkeelake, Fern and Perecheney series.

Craigen soils: have an active cation-exchange activity class and a thermic temperature regime
Durkeelake and Perecheney soils: have mixed mineralogy, an active cation-exchange activity class and a frigid temperature regime
Fern soils: have mixed mineralogy, an active cation-exchange activity class and a mesic temperature regime

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy fluviomarine deposits derived from the Beaumont Formation
Landscape: Coastal plain
Landform: relic beach ridge
Slope: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual air temperature range: 20.0 to 22.2 degrees C (68 to 72 degrees F)
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.
Frost-free period: 270 to 300 days
Elevation: 3 to 30.5 m (10 to 100 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Anahuac, Leton, Levac, Meaton, Spindletop, and the tentative Winnie (T) series.
Anahuac and Orcadia soils: do not have a sandy surface; on a similar position on the landscape
Leton and Winnie soils: are wetter; and in depressions
Levac soils: are in a fine family; are truncated mounds
Meaton soils: do have a sandy surface; on flats
Spindletop soils: do not have a sandy surfaces; on pimple mounds

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: moderately well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is low. 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 46 to 122 cm (18 to 48 in) below the soil surface from January to March and endosaturation from 152 to 203 cm (60 to 80 in) below the surface during the same period.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly range or pasture. A few areas are farmed to vegetables or other specialty crops. Vegetation is mainly coarse bunch grasses such as andropogons, paspalums, and spartinas. A few clumps of live oak occur in some areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Texas; Land Resource Region T; MLRA 150A; the series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chambers County, Texas; 1969

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included with the Sabine series. The series type location was moved and reclassified during the update of MLRA 150A.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: 74 to 124 cm (29 to 49 in. (Bt/E, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)

Umbric epipedon: 0 to 40 cm (29 to 35 in). (A horizons)
Glossic horizon: 74 to 35 cm (29 to 35 in). (Bt/E horizon)
Argillic horizon: 74 to 203 cm (29 to 80 in). (Bt/E, Bt1, Bt2, Btg horizons)

Additional Comments: The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class and umbric epipedon is supported by laboratory data on pedon number S10TX0712764 from the type location in Chambers County, Texas.

ADDITIONAL DATA: KSSL data from type location S10TX0712764. Additional data on pedons S10TX0712765, S10TX0711003, and S10TX0714444.

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.