LOCATION TELF TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, hyperthermic Aquertic Chromic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Telf fine sandy loam--rice field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and roots; few very fine pores; many very fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces of peds with clear and sharp boundaries; many fine distinct dark yellowish brown and yellowish brown (10YR 4/6, 5/6) rhizospheres; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
E--9 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine pores; 1 percent black and brown concretions; many fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces of peds with clear and sharp boundaries; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) rhizospheres; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Bt1--16 to 26 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few very fine pores; few distinct pressure faces and wedged-shaped aggregates; few vertical cracks 5 to 10 mm wide partly filled with material from above; common distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; 1 percent fine siliceous pebbles; few fine and medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), common fine and medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) and many fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces of peds with clear and sharp boundaries; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions on surfaces of peds with diffuse boundaries; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--26 to 40 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on surfaces of peds; few dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) stains on surfaces of peds; 2 percent clean sand on surfaces of peds; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), many fine to coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces of peds with clear and sharp boundaries; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt3--40 to 52 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common faint clay films on surfaces of peds; 3 percent clean sand on surfaces of peds; few fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/8), many fine to coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces of peds with clear and sharp boundaries; common fine to coarse distinct light yellowish brown rhizospheres; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Bt4--52 to 70 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few faint clay films on surfaces of prisms; 3 percent clean sand on surfaces of prisms; common fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/8), common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), common medium yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces of prisms with clear and sharp boundaries; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
Bt5--70 to 80 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few faint clay films on surfaces of prisms; few fine white salts; few fine black stains of surfaces of peds; 2 percent clean sand on surfaces of peds and prisms; few fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/6), few fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces of prisms with clear and sharp boundaries; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Colorado County, Texas; from the intersection of Interstate 10 and Texas Highway 71, 17.2 miles south on Texas Highway 71 in Garwood, 7.1 miles west on FM 1693, 0.7 mile west county road to windmill north of county road, and 300 feet northeast in rice field; USGS Sheridan N.E. topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 29 degrees, 25 minutes, 40 seconds N; Longitude: 96 degrees, 30 minutes, 42 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches.
Some pedons have secondary carbonates below a depth of 50 inches. The upper part of the argillic horizon cracks when dry. Dark concretions range from none to few throughout. Iron-manganese concretions range from none to a few throughout. Siliceous pebbles range from none to few.
Combined thickness of the A and E horizons average about 15 inches thick and ranges from 10 to 20 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 2 to 4. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow or brown range from none to common in most pedons. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The E horizons have hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 2 to 4. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow or brown range from none to common in most pedons. Texture is loamy fine sand, fine sand or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7 and chroma of 1 to 3. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, yellow, brown or gray with sharp, clear or diffuse boundaries range from few to many. Texture is clay loam or clay in the upper Bt horizons and sandy clay loam, clay loam or sandy clay in the lower Bt horizons. Clay percent in the upper Bt horizons range from 35 to 55 percent and clay percent in the lower Bt horizons range from 27 to 40 percent. Coatings of clean sand range from 0 to 3 percent at a depth of 30 to 50 inches. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline with base saturation more than 75 percent in the Bt1.
The BCt horizon where present, is mottled or has a grayish matrix with redoximorphic features in shades of red, yellow, brown or olive that range from few to common. Dominant colors are in hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 6. Texture is commonly sandy clay loam or clay loam. Concretions, masses, films and threads of calcium carbonate range from none to common. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
BC horizon where present, has hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7 and chroma of 1 to 8. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, yellow, brown or gray range from none to many. Texture ranges from sandy clay loam to clay. Concretions, masses, films and threads of calcium carbonate range from none to common. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Edco (TX) and Nez (TX) series. Similar soils are the Edna, Faddin, Garwood, Inez, Katy, Mentz, Telferner, Texana, and Yeaton series. Edco soils have an ochric epipedon less than 10 inches thick. Nez soils are very strongly acid to moderately acid, and have base saturation of less than 75 percent in the Bt horizon. Edna, Faddin, Inez, Telferner and Texana soils have smectitic mineralogy and formed from sediments of the Beaumont Formation. Garwood soils have an ochric epipedon 18 to 30 inches thick and have kaolinitic mineralogy. Katy soils are in the fine-loamy family and have an ochric epipedon 18 to 30 inches thick. Mentz soils are in the thermic temperature regime and formed in materials weathered from the Goliad Formation. Yeaton soils are in the thermic temperature regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Telf soils are on nearly level to gently sloping uplands in the Coast Prairie Land Resource Area. The slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in clayey and loamy sediments of Pleistocene age of the Lissie Formation, east of the Guadalupe River system. Mean annual temperature ranges from 70 to 72 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 44 inches. Frost free days range from 250 to 280 days, and elevation ranges from 170 to 250 feet. Thornthwaite annual P-E indices range from 52 to 62.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cieno, Edco, Garwood, Katy, Nada and Nez series. Cieno soils are in the fine-loamy family, have an aquic moisture regime and are in slightly lower oval depressions. Edco, Garwood and Katy soils are on similar landscape positions. Nada soils are in the fine-loamy family and are on similar landscape positions. Nez soils are on similar landscape positions and have savannah type vegetation.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is low on 0 to 1 percent slopes and medium on 1 to 3 percent slopes. Water perches on top of the argillic horizon for 1 to 2 weeks after heavy rains. During wet years, planting may be delayed for short periods.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for rice production. Some areas are in native pasture. Native grasses are mainly species of andropogon and paspalum genera.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal Prairie of Texas MLRA 150A. The series is of major extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Colorado County, Texas; 1997.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Telferner series. This soil does not have an aquic moisture regime. The classification of Aquertic Chromic Hapludalfs is based on a study of similar soils where significant iron reduction and depletion has been measured in the A and, to a lesser extent, the upper part of the Bt horizon. Aquic conditions occur for periods long enough in most years to cause iron reduction and mobility, as well as iron oxidation. In addition, the majority of pedons have value moist of 4 or more and value dry of 6 or more, supporting the Chromic subgroup. The series classification supports mixed mineralogy and is based on reference samples tested for mineralogy by Texas A&M University.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 16 inches. (A and E horizons)
Albic horizon - 9 to 16 inches. (E horizon)
Aquertic feature - Cracks and/or wedge-shaped aggregates within the upper part of the argillic horizon. Intermittent aquic conditions are expressed by value of 5 and chroma of 2 in the matrix of the upper part of the argillic horizon, in association with masses of iron accumulation in this zone.
Argillic horizon - 16 to 80 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4 and Bt5 horizons)