LOCATION BOWIE TX+AR LAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Plinthic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Bowie very fine sandy loam on a 3 percent slope, in native pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and common medium roots; about 2 to 3 percent by volume ironstone pebbles 2 to 5 mm in size; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
E--5 to 10 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; about 1 to 2 percent by volume ironstone pebbles 2 to 5 mm in size; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) redox concentrations; few thin patchy clay films in pores and root channels; about 3 to 4 percent by volume ironstone pebbles 2 to 8 mm in size; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick)
Bt2--23 to 31 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and common coarse prominent red (2.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations; common thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds; about 2 percent by volume nodular plinthite; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Btv--31 to 46 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and common coarse prominent red (2.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations; about 8 to 10 percent by volume nodular plinthite; common thin continuous clay films on surfaces of peds; about 2 percent by volume ironstone concretions 5 to 10 mm in size; 5 to 10 percent by volume brittle masses; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches)
Btv/E--46 to 68 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots mainly along surfaces of prisms; many coarse prominent red (2.5YR 5/6) and many faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) redox concentrations; many redox depletions; about 5 to 7 percent by volume nodular plinthite; few thin patchy clay films mainly along surface of prisms; about 5 to 6 percent by volume coatings of albic material on surface of prisms; about 3 percent by volume ironstone pebbles 2 to 5 mm in size; 15 to 20 percent by volume brittle masses; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 22 inches thick)
B't--68 to 83 inches; mixed redoximorphic features of strong brown (7.5YR 5/6, 5/8), gray (10YR 6/1), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and red (10R 4/8) sandy clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; very firm, sticky and plastic; about 2 percent by volume nodular plinthite; few thin plates of plinthite; thick continuous clay films on surface of prisms and common thin patchy clay films on surface of subangular blocks; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Harrison County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highways 59 and 80 in Marshall, 4.4 miles south on U.S. Highway 59, 6.7 miles west on Interstate 20, 1.0 mile south on Farm Road 3251, 0.9 mile west on county road; 300 feet north. (Latitude 32N, 28, 30; Longitude 94W, 29, 23)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 60 to more than 80
Clay content in the Control Section: 18 to 25 percent
Redoximorphic features: Iron concentrations in shades of red or yellow, and iron depletions in shades of gray are in the lower parts of the subsoil.
Other distinctive soil features: The moisture control section is dry in some part for 75 to 90 days in most years. The weighted average clay content of the control section ranges from 18 to 30 percent and the silt plus very fine sand content ranges from 30 to 60 percent. The sand fraction coarser than very fine sand and fragments up to 3 inches across range from 15 to 45 percent. Brittle masses or fragments comprise 5 to 40 percent by volume in horizons containing plinthite. Fragments greater than 3 inches in size range from none to few.
Concentrated minerals: Depth to horizons that contain 5 percent or more plinthite by volume is 25 to 60 inches. Strongly cemented or indurated iron oxide concretions and ironstone pebbles less than 3 inches in diameter range from 0 to 5 percent by volume throughout. Base saturation at 50 inches below the top of the argillic horizon ranges from 10 to 34 percent and the CEC ranges from 6.0 to 18.0 meg/100 gram of soil.
A horizon:
Color--Hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 4
Redoximorphic features--None
Texture--Very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loamy fine sand
Other features--Horizons with value of 3 are less than 7 inches thick
Reaction--Very strongly acid to slightly acid unless limed
E horizon:
Color--Hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 or 4
Redoximorphic features--None
Texture--Very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loamy fine sand
Other features--Combined thickness of the A and E horizons is 6 to 20 inches
Reaction--Very strongly acid to slightly acid unless limed
EB or BE horizon: (where present)
Color--Hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 6
Redoximorphic features--None
Texture--Very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loamy fine sand
Other features--None
Reaction--Very strongly acid to slightly acid unless limed
Bt horizon:
Color--Hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8
Redoximorphic features--Reddish, brownish, or yellowish iron concentrations range from none to many.
Texture--Fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Other features--Streaks, coatings, or pockets of uncoated sand range from none to about 4 percent. Nodular plinthite ranges from 0 to 4 percent by volume.
Reaction--Very strongly acid to moderately acid
Btv horizon:
Color--Hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8
Redoximorphic features--Reddish and brownish redox concentrations range from few to many in most pedons. Some pedons have redox depletions below a depth of 30 inches.
Texture--Fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Other features--Coatings, streaks, or pockets of albic material range from a few to 4 percent by volume. Nodular plinthite makes up about 5 to 15 percent by volume.
Reaction--Very strongly acid or strongly acid
Btv/E or Bt/E horizon:
Color--Hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8 in the Btv parts, and shades of gray in the E parts
Redoximorphic features--Iron concentrations in shades of red or yellow, and iron depletions in shades of gray range from few to many, or the matrix is variegated with these colors.
Texture--Fine sandy loam, loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Other features--The albic materials occur as as coatings, streaks, or pockets, and comprise 5 to 20 percent by volume (E parts). Plinthite, mainly in nodular form makes up 5 to about 15 percent by volume in the upper part, and 0 to 15 percent in the lower part.
Reaction--Very strongly acid or strongly acid
B't or BC horizon: (where present)
Color--Shades of brown or gray
Redoximorphic features--Iron concentrations in shades of yellow or red, or the matrix is mixed or stratified with these colors.
Texture--Sandy clay loam, clay loam, or sandy clay. Some pedons have strata of fine sandy loam or clay. Weighted average clay content ranges from 25 to 40 percent.
Other features--Some pedons have up to 4 percent by volume of streaks or pockets of albic materials. Plinthite ranges from none to 4 percent by volume.
Reaction--Very strongly acid or strongly acid
C horizon: (where present)
Color--Shades of red, yellow, or brown
Redoximorphic features--None
Texture--Sandstone or stratified sandstone and shale/mudstone wit texture of fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or sandy clay
Other features-- Depth to a C horizon is more than 60 inches
Reaction--Very strongly acid or strongly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baxterville, Malbis, Notcher, Otanya, Pinetucky, and Rogan soils in the same family. The Bernaldo, Dothan, Erno, Lilbert, Oakwood, and Tifton, Warnock soils are in similar families. Baxterville soils have colors with hue redder than 7.5YR in the Bt horizon. Dothan and Tifton soils have less than 20 percent silt in the control section. In addition, Dothan soils have a kandic horizon. Malbis, Notcher, Otanya, Pinetucky and Rogan soils receive more than 30 inches warm-season precipitation, have a summer moisture deficit of 0 to 4 inches, and are developed from Pleistocene Age sediments. Also, Notcher and Rogan soils have ironstone fragments making up 5 to 25 percent of the Bt horizon. Bernaldo, Erno and Warnock soils do not contain 5 percent plinthite. Oakwood soils are Alfisols. Lilbert soils are in an arenic subgroup.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bowie soils are on broad very gently sloping to moderately sloping uplands of the Coastal Plain. Slopes are mainly 1 to 5 percent but they range from 1 to 8 percent. The soil formed in thick beds of unconsolidated loamy and clayey deposits of the Claiborne Group of the Tertiary system. The climate is humid; mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 50 inches; and mean annual temperature from 64 to 69 degrees F. The Thornthwaite annual P.E.index exceeds 64. Some part of the moisture control section is dry for more than 75 days in most years. The frost free days range from 220 to 250. Elevation ranges from 150 to 600 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Bernaldo, Lilbert, and Warnock soils and the Briley, Cuthbert, Darco, Kirvin, Kullit, and Rentzel soils. Bernaldo soils are on slightly lower positions in the landscape along stream terraces and on Pleistocene terraces in upland positions. Lilbert, Briley, Darco, and Warnock soils are on similar but slightly higher positions. Cuthbert soils have red clayey Bt horizons and are on steeper slopes above streams or along hillsides. Kirvin soils have red clayey Bt horizons and are above on low hills and oval ridges. The Kullit and Rentzel soils are members of an aquic subgroup and are on lower slightly wetter positions. Rentzel soils also have an arenic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Bowie soils are well drained. Permeability is moderately slow. Runoff is low on 1 to 3 percent slopes, medium on 3 to 5 percent slopes, and high on 5 to 8 percent slopes. A perched water table is at a depth of 3.5 to 5 feet during winter and early spring in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: The principal use is for pasture and forest. Some areas are used for growing corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, peaches, watermelons and other vegetables or fruit crops. Pasture is mainly bermudagrass or bahiagrass. Forests consists of loblolly and shortleaf pines, sweetgum, red oak, and hickory trees with tall and midgrasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in the Southern Coastal Plain of eastern Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Little Rock, Arkansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bowie County, Texas, 1918.
REMARKS: The series was updated in 2004 to allow moderately acid reaction in the Bt horizon, and for plinthite to range to 0 percent in the lower part of the Bt/E horizon. Data from Harrison County, Texas: NSSL Lab Nos. S80TX203-01, S83TX203-01. Data from Rusk County, Texas: NSSL Lab Nos. S83TX401-01
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon: surface to 10 inches.
Argillic horizon: 10 to more than 80 inches.
Plinthic feature: more than 5 percent plinthite from 31 to 68 inches.
Redoximorphic features: Below 10 inches.