LOCATION SURFSIDE TX

Established Series
JDC-GWC-RM
09/2015

SURFSIDE SERIES

The Surfside series consists of very deep, very poorly drained, saline soils that formed in saline clayey alluvium of Holocene age. These level to depressed soils are on flood plains on delta plains near sea level. Slope is less than 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1270 mm (50 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 22 degrees C (72 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Vertic Endoaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Surfside clay--on a nearly level, 0.1 percent slope, in rangeland at an elevation less than 1.5 m (5 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ag1--0 to 36 cm (0 to 14 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium subangular and angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; many fine and medium roots; few fine interstitial pores; many fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron in old root cavities; moderately saline; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 51 cm [10 to 20 in] thick)

Ag2--36 to 81 cm (14 to 32 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine angular blocky; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; few fine faint gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions; few thin light gray (10YR 7/1) silt material coating prism faces; very firm; few fine roots; strongly saline; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (15 to 51 cm [6 to 20 in] thick)

Bg--81 to 183 cm (32 to 72 in); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) dry; weak medium angular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; common fine and medium distinct gray (7.5YR 6/1), and few fine distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) iron depletions; few calcium carbonate concretions up to 0.6 cm (1/4 in) in diameter; strongly effervescent; strongly saline; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Brazoria County, Texas; 2.1 miles northeast of Freeport on Farm Road 332; southeast 0.3 mile; 300 ft south of road in rangeland. Freeport USGS Quad; Latitude: 28 degrees 58 minutes 48 seconds N; 95 degrees 20 minutes 1.5 seconds W (latitude and longitude are approximations based on the directions provided above); WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 152 to more than 203 cm (60 to more than 80 in). The soil is moderately to strongly saline. Some pedons have buried horizons at depths of more than 102 cm (40 in). Some pedons have an organic surface horizon less than 5 cm (2 in) thick. In most years, cracks 1 cm or more wide extend from the surface to a depth of 51 cm (20 in). Some pedons have a few slickensides.

Ag horizons:
Upper Ag
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Lower Ag
Hues: 10YR and 7.5YR
Values: 3 or 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay, but includes silty clay. The organic matter content ranges from 2 to 10 percent
Redox concentrations: amount- common or many; colors-shades of brown or yellow
Iron depletions: amount-few to many; colors-shades of gray
Secondary carbonates: amount- none to common; kind-concretions or masses
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bg horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: clay
Redox concentrations: amount- common or many; colors-shades of brown or yellow
Iron depletions: amount- few to many; colors- shades of gray
Secondary carbonates: amount- none to common; kind-concretions or masses
Effervescence: none to strong but most pedons have some effervescence
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Some pedons have C or 2C horizons below 152 cm (60 in) that have the same colors as the B horizons with individual strata that are reddish, brownish or yellowish. Textures range from loam to clay that is stratified with clayey or sandy layers.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. Other similar soils are the Aransas, Harris, Iberia, Lake Charles, Lomalta, Pledger, and Velasco series.
Aransas soils: have less than 60 percent clay in the control section; are calcareous throughout.
Iberia, Lake Charles, and Pledger soils: are not saline.
Harris soils: have gray colors throughout.
Lomalta soils: are calcareous throughout; are in a dryer climate.
Velasco soils: do not have gray colors in the upper part; are calcareous throughout.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous Holocene age saline clayey alluvium of mixed sources
Landscape: delta plains
Landform: flood plains
Slope: less than 1 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 1,016 to 1,524 (40 to 60 in)
Mean annual air temperature: 21.1 to 22.2 degrees C (70 degrees to 72 degrees F)
Mean annual soil temperature: 21.7 to 22.2 degrees (71 degrees to 72 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 275 to 300 days
Elevation: less than 3.0 m (10 ft) above sea level
Thornthwaite P-E Index: exceeds 48

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar Pledger and Velasco series and the Galveston, Mustang, Tracosa, and Veston series.
Galveston and Mustang soils: are sandy
Pledger soils: are on higher and better drained positions.
Tracosa soils: have an ochric epipedon, are on lower positions, and are flooded daily by tidal action. Velasco soils are on slightly lower and wetter positions.
Veston soils: are loamy.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Surfside soils are very poorly drained. Runoff is high, and permeability is very slow. A water table fluctuates from the soil surface to a depth of about 127 cm (50 in). The soils are occasionally flooded by fresh water during periods of high rainfall, and salt water during Gulf storms, or extremely high tides. The soil is saturated at or near the surface for periods of 4 to 6 months during the year.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly Gulf cordgrass with some other water-loving and salt tolerant grasses and sedges. When salt content is lowered, little bluestem, switchgrass, longtom, and bermudagrass are common.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Upper Gulf Coast of Texas; LRR T; MLRA 150B, the series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brazoria County, Texas; 1978.

REMARKS: Surfside soils were formerly considered a saline phase of the Pledger series.

Classification changed from Vertic Haplaquolls to Vertic Endoaquolls 11/2000 based on typifying pedon description. These soils do not have slickensides or wedge-shaped peds, so do not classify as Vertisols. Further study and characterization data of the series is needed to verify hydrology and classification.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon: 0 to 36 cm (0 to 14 in) (Ag1 horizon)

Aquic feature: dominant chroma of 2 or less with iron concentrations of higher chroma.

Vertic feature: 1 cm wide cracks extend to 51 cm (20 in) in most years, have COLE of .09 or more and contain 35 percent or more clay in a layer 51 cm (20 in) thick. PLE is more than 6 cm in the upper 102 cm (40 in) of the soil profile.

ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory data from Brazoria County, Texas (S76TX-039-006) -(76PO756, 76PO758).

Taxonomic Version: Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.