LOCATION CRAVEN NC+GA SC VA
Established Series
RAG-ENH, Rev. MHC: Rev. DTA
02/2026
CRAVEN SERIES
MLRA(s): 133A, 153A, 137
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Southeast
Depth Class: Very deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Moderately well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately low
Landscape: Coastal Plain
Landform: Uplands
Parent Material: marine sediments
Slope: 0 to 12 percent
Elevation (type location): 9 meters (31 feet) above mean sea level
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 17 degrees C (63 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1372 millimeters (54 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, subactive, thermic Aquic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Craven silt loam--cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 centimeters (4 to 10 inches) thick)
E--18 to 23 centimeters (7 to 9 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine and medium roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 centimeters (0 to 5 inches) thick)
Bt1--23 to 30 centimeters (9 to 12 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) silty clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; thin discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium pores; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--30 to 56 centimeters (12 to 22 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) silty clay; common fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; moderate fine angular blocky structure; very firm, sticky, plastic; thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; common fine pores; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--56 to 91 centimeters (22 to 36 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) silty clay; common fine and medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) and common fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very firm, sticky, plastic; thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; few fine pores; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt4--91 to 117 centimeters (36 to 46 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay; many medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1), common medium distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8), and common fine distinct red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; weak medium angular blocky structure; very firm, sticky, plastic; thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt ranges from 61 to 127 centimeters (24 to 50 inches.)
BC--117 to 137 centimeters (46 to 54 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) clay; common medium faint pale brown (10YR 6/3), common fine and medium distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8), and common fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; weak medium platy structure; very firm, sticky, plastic; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 63 centimeters (0 to 25 inches) thick)
C1--137 to 178 centimeters (54 to 70 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sandy loam; common lenses and pockets of sandy clay loam; common fine faint reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) and few fine and medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) mottles; massive; very friable; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C2--178 to 203 centimeters (70 to 80 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) loamy sand; common fine and medium faint reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) and few fine and medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) mottles; massive; very friable; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Craven County, North Carolina; 4 miles northwest of Vanceboro on N.C. 43; 0.6 mile northeast on Secondary Road 1644; 30 feet west of road in cultivated field. USGS Vanceboro, North Carolina topographic quadrangle.
Latitude--35.3411
Longitude-- -77.1565
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 61 to 91 centimeters (24 to 36 inches), December to April
Soil Reaction: extremely acid to strongly acid, except where limed
Rock Fragment content: 0 to 3 percent, by volume, throughout
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A or Ap horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- loam, silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam. Eroded pedons are clay loam, sandy clay loam or silty clay loam.
E horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 2 to 4
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
BE or BA horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, clay loam, silt clay loam, or sandy clay loam.
Bt horizon (upper part):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Other features--average clay content of the Bt horizon is 35 to 55 percent and silt plus the very fine sand content is more than 30 percent
Bt horizon (lower part):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 3 to 8 Texture (fine-earth fraction)--clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions with chroma of 2 or less occur within 61 centimeters (24 inches) of the upper boundary of the Bt horizon. Iron accumulations in shades of yellow, brown, or red may also be present.
Other features-- average clay content of the Bt horizon is 35 to 55 percent and silt plus the very fine sand content is more than 30 percent
BC or BCg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- silty clay loam, clay loam, silty clay, clay, sandy clay, or sandy clay loam
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of brown, olive, or gray and iron accumulations in shades of yellow, brown, or red may also be present.
C horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 to 6. Pedons with dominant chroma of 3 or more have iron depletions of chroma 2 or less
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- clay loam, loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, or loamy sand.
Redoximorphic features-- iron accumulations in shades of yellow, brown, or red may also be present.
COMPETING SERIES:
Eulonia soils--have less than 30 percent silt
Nevarc soils--have a perched water table
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Coastal Plain
Landform: Upland
Parent Material: Marine sediments
Elevation: 6 to 30 meters (20 to 100 feet) above mean sea level
Frost Free Period: 190 to 240 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 64 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1016 to 1321 millimeters (40 to 52 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bayboro soils--are very poorly drained are on lower landscape positions
Bladen soils--are poorly drained and are on lower landscape positions
Exum soils--are fine-silty
Goldsboro soils--are fine-loamy
Grantham soils--are fine-silty and poorly drained
Gritney soils--have less than 30 percent silt
Leaf soils--are poorly drained and are on lower landscape positions
Lenoir soils--are somewhat poorly drained and are on lower landscape positions
Lynchburg soils--are fine-loamy and somewhat poorly drained and are on lower landscape positions
Nahunta soils--are fine-silty and somewhat poorly drained and are on lower landscape positions
Norfolk soils--are fine-loamy and well drained
Rains soils--are fine-loamy and poorly drained and are on lower landscape positions
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Moderately well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Moderately low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Cropland and woodland
Dominant Vegetation: Where cultivated--corn, soybeans, tobacco, cotton, small grain, peanuts, and pasture. Where wooded-- loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), red maple (Acer rubrum), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), water oak (Quercus nigra), southern red oak (Quercus falcata), yellow-poplar (Liriodendro tulipifera), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), white oak (Quercus alba), post oak (Quercus stellata), American holly (Ilex opaca), and other overstory species. Understory species include bitter gallberry (Ilex glabra), sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), grape (Vitus spp.), Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), large gallberry (Ilex coriacea), honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), and summersweet clethra (sweet pepperbush) (Clethra alnifolia).
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia
Extent: Large
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Craven County, North Carolina, 1930.
REMARKS:
The February 2026 revision changed formatting. No data was changed.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 23 centimeters (0 to 9 inches) (Ap & E horizon)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 23 to 117 centimeters (9 to 46 inches) (Bt horizons)
Aquic conditions--redox depletions and concentrations within the upper 24 inches of the argillic horizon, with periodic saturation and reduction at some time during the year
ADDITIONAL DATA:
(1) This series is among Benchmark soils; characterization data at type location exists in S77NC-49-1 and on alternate site S78NC-49-44.
(2) North Carolina State University
(a) Swelling pressure and COLE data on undisturbed B horizon samples at the type location in Craven Co., North Carolina.
Bt1 Bt2 Bt3
Swelling pressure (lbs/sq in) 108 1002 141
COLE .04 .06 .04
(b) Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) data from 1 pedon Craven Co., North Carolina; from undisturbed 3-inch cores collected for cooperative research by NCSU., SCS, and the Craven County Health Department.
Horizon Depth (in.) K (in./hr.)
Ap 1-4 1.88-2.16
A2 6-9 0.18-0.32
Bt1 13-16 0.09-0.10
Bt1 20-23 0.16
Bt2 29-32 0.14
Bt3 40-43 0.13
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
CRAVEN 0-12 59-64 190-240 40-52 20-100
FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
NONE 2.0-3.0 APPARENT DEC-APR >60
Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
0-9 L FSL SIL 0-0 95-100 7-27 -
0-9 CL SICL SCL 0-0 95-100 27-40 -
9-54 C SIC SICL 0-0 95-100 35-60 -
54-80 CL SL LS 0-0 95-100 5-35 -
Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
0-9 3.5-6.5 .5-2. 0-0 0.2-2.0 LOW
0-9 3.5-5.5 .5-2. 0-0 0.06-0.2 MODERATE
9-54 3.5-5.5 0.-0. 0-0 0.06-0.2 MODERATE
54-80 3.5-5.5 0.-0. 0-0 0.2-6.0 LOW
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.