Established Series
GLL-RD-RM
07/2014
The Kaman series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in clayey alluvium. These nearly level soils occur on floodplains. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1270 mm (50 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 20 degrees C (68 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, thermic Oxyaquic Hapluderts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kaman clay--rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 13 cm, (0 to 5 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; many fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm [2 to 8 in] thick)
A2--13 to 61 cm, (5 to 24 in); black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard; common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; very firm, many shiny pressure faces; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese nodules; few uncoated quartz grains between peds; neutral; diffuse wavy boundary. (25 to 94 cm [10 to 37 in] thick)
Bss1--61 to 99 cm, (24 to 39 in); black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many pressure faces; common prominent slickensides; few uncoated quartz grains between peds; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese nodules; slightly alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bss horizons is 71 to 158 cm [28 to 62 in] thick)
Bss2--99 to 132 cm, (39 to 52 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common prominent slickensides; few uncoated quartz grains between peds; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese nodules; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redox concentrations with clear boundaries on slickenside faces; slightly alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary.
Bkss--132 to 203 cm, (52 to 80 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common prominent slickensides; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese nodules; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redox concentrations with clear boundaries on slickenside faces; few fine calcium carbonate nodules; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Harris County, Texas; from intersection of Farm Road 2100 and U.S. Highway 90 at Crosby; 3.3 miles south on Farm Road 2100; 0.6 mile west on Highland Shores Road; 200 ft north in range. USGS topographic quadrangle: Highlands; Latitude: 29 degrees, 50 minutes, 16.8 seconds N; Longitude: 95 degrees, 4 minutes, 1.4 seconds W; Datum: WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 203 cm (80 in). When dry, cracks 1 cm to more than 2.5 cm (1/2 to more than 1 inch) wide extend from the surface to a depth of more than 30 cm (12 in). Undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microknolls about 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in) above the microdepressions. Distance from the center of the microknoll to the center of the microdepression ranges from 1.2 to 4.6 m (4 to about 15 ft).
Soil Moisture: An udic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is moist in some or all parts throughout the year in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 20.6 to 21.7 degrees C (69 to 71 degrees F)
Vertic features: 46 to 76 cm (18 to 30 in)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 60 to 75 percent
A Horizons
Hue: 10YR or N/
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or less (Horizons with mollic colors are 24 to 48 in thick in more than half the pedon.)
Texture: silty clay or clay
Slickensides/Pressure faces: amount-few to many
Redox concentrations: amount-none to common, shades-brown
Iron-manganese concentrations: amount-none to common; kind-nodules
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid
Bss Horizon
Hue: 10YR or N/
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 or less (Horizons with mollic colors are 61 to 122 cm [24 to 48 in] thick in more than half the pedon.)
Texture: silty clay or clay
Slickensides/Pressure faces: amount-few to many
Redox concentrations: amount-none to common, shades-brown or yellow
Iron-manganese concentrations: amount-none to common; kind-nodules
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly alkaline
Bkss Horizon
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay or clay
Slickensides/Pressure faces: amount-few to many
Redox concentrations: amount-none to common, shades-brown or yellow
Iron-manganese concentrations: amount-none to common; kind-nodules
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-few or common,kind-nodules
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Deann, Houston, and Moreland series in the same family. Similar soils include the Garner, Hollywood, League, Maytag, Okolona, Trinity, and Zilaboy soils.
Deann and Houston soils: have a surface horizon color yellower than 10YR
Moreland soils: are redder than 10YR in the surface horizon
Garner, Hollywood, Maytag, Okolona, and Zilaboy soils: have less than 60 percent clay in the particle-size control section
League soils: have less than 60 percent clay in the particle-size control section; in a hyperthermic soil temperature regime
Trinity soils: do not become saturated in the upper part for 20 consecutive or 30 cumulative days in a normal year
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey alluvium
Landscape: coastal plain river valleys
Landform: flood plains
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 1219 to 1473 mm (48 to 58 in)
Precipitation Pattern: Rainfall is fairly uniform throughout the year with slight peaks in the spring and fall months
Mean annual air temperature: 19.5 to 20.6 degrees C (67 to 69 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 240 to 300 days
Elevation: 6 to 30.5 m (20 to 100 ft)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cowmarsh, Simelake, Pluck, and Zummo series.
Cowmarsh soils: are ponded; in oxbows and old channels
Simelake soils: have less clay throughout; are lighter in color; similar landform
Pluck soils: loamy throughout; higher landform
Zummo soils: have less clay throughout; do not have slickensides; in a lower landform closer to the coast
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: somewhat poorly drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is high. Occasionally or frequently flooded for brief to long duration from November to June in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Forest and pasture. Forest consists of cypress, sweetgum, elm, and water oaks. Cleared areas are used for pastures of dallisgrass, bermudagrass, and fescuegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Texas; Land Resource Region T; MLRA 152B; moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harris County, Texas; 1973.
REMARKS: Kaman soils have a high shrink-swell potential and are wet for long periods of time. Formerly classified as Typic Pelluderts. 1/94
Diagnostic horizons and feature in this pedon are:
Deep wide cracks open and close more or less irregularly over time according to the weather. They do not remain open for 90 cumulative days in most years.
Color-have chroma of 1.5 or less dominant in the matrix of all subhorizons in more than half of each pedon. A moist color value of 2 or 3 is expected.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil survey office lab data available on sites from Liberty County, Texas.
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010
National Cooperative Soil SurveyU.S.A.
