LOCATION BAHIAHONDA FL
Established Series
Rev. MFV-ADM-AMS
12/2025
BAHIAHONDA SERIES
MLRA(s): 156A
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Auburn, Alabama
Depth Class: Very deep
Drainage Class: Somewhat poorly drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: High to very high
Index Surface Runoff: Negligible to very low
Parent Material: Sandy eolian and/or marine deposits over oolitic limestone bedrock
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 3 to 10 feet above mean sea level.
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 24 degrees C (75 degrees F.)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1143 millimeters (45 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Isohyperthermic, uncoated Aquic Quartzipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Bahiahonda fine sand on a coastal dune. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand, gray (10YR 6/1), dry; single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. [5 to 25 centimeters (2 to 10 inches) thick]
C1--20 to 89 centimeters (8 to 35 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sand; single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots throughout; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
C2--89 to 173 centimeters (35 to 68 inches); white (10YR 8/1) fine sand; single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots throughout; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. [Combine thickness of the C1 and C2 horizons are 64 to 153 centimeters (25 to 60 inches)]
Cg--173 to 208 centimeters (68 to 82 inches); white (10YR 8/1) very gravelly sand; single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; about 30 percent shell and 10 percent limestone fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). [25 to 76 centimeters (10 to 30 inches) thick]
2R--208 centimeters (82 inches); weakly to strongly cemented rippable oolitic limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Monroe County, Florida; Bahia Honda Key; USGS Big Pine Key, FL quadrangle.
Latitude-- 24.6655917 N
Longitude-- -81.2540972 W
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 151centimeters (60 inches) or more
Depth to seasonally high-water table: 45 to 106 centimeters (18 to 42 inches)
Depth to endosaturation: 46 to 107 centimeters (18 to 42 inches) and is always in the limestone bedrock
Soil Reaction: Slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline throughout
Depth of ochric epipedon: 5 to 25 centimeters (2 to 10 inches)
Depth to bedrock: 151 centimeters (60 inches) or greater
Rock and shell fragments: 0 to 60 percent, 2 to 75 mm (less than 3 inches)
Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content: 0.1 to 8 percent
Sand content: 85 to 99 percent
Silt content: less than 5 percent
Range of Individual Horizons:
A horizon:
Color: Hue 10YR, value 4 or 5, and chroma 1 to 3
Texture: fine sand or sand
Rock or shell fragments: 0 to 14 percent
C or Cg horizons:
Color: Hue 10YR, value 5 to 8, and chroma 1 to 3
Texture: fine sand or sand, and their gravelly, shelly, very gravelly, or very shelly analogues
Rock or shell fragments: 0 to 30 percent
2R horizon: weakly to strongly cemented oolitic limestone bedrock, with solution holes filled with sandy and/or marly materials. Solution holes can be up to 102 centimeters (40 inches) or deeper.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Lower Coastal Plain
Landform(s): Eolian dunes and low ridges above beaches on the Key West Islands and/or along the southern coast of the Florida Peninsula
Parent material: sandy eolian and/or marine deposits over oolitic limestone bedrock
Mean annual temperature: 24 to 27 degrees C (75 to 81 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 1067 to 1778 millimeters (42 to 70 inches)
Frost-free period: 365 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Cudjoe soils have marly silt loam particle-sized control section, have bedrock at depths less than 50 centimeters (20 inches), and occur on lower landform positions in the tidal zone.
Islamorada, KeyLargo, and
Matecumbe soils are composed entirely of organic materials over oolitic limestone, the depth to bedrock is 50 to 100 centimeters, greater than 150 centimeters, and less than 18 centimeters (7 inches) respectively. All three soils also occur on lower landform positions in the tidal zone where they are very frequently flooded.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: Somewhat poorly drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (KSAT): high to very high
Surface runoff: Negligible to very low
Depth to seasonal high-water table: 45 to 106 centimeters (18 to 42 inches)
Flooding frequency and duration: subject to flooding from storm surge and hurricanes, rare and brief
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: wildlife habitat and recreational uses.
Dominant vegetation: poisonwood, crabwood, pigeon plum, toarchwood, stopper, gumbo limbo, Deering's tree cactus, aloe vertie, prickley pear, sea grape, and silver palm. Some areas have pioneer species dominated by Australian pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 156A Florida Everglades and Associated Areas.
Extent: Small
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Monroe County, Florida, 1989
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this Pedon:
1. Ochric epipedon - 0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) (A horizon)
2. Lithic contact - 208 centimeters (82 inches) (2R horizon)
3. Resistant minerals - 90% or more resistant soil materials throughout the particle size control section.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data is available on the National Soil Survey website at: http://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/querypage.aspx
OSD User Site ID: S1988FL087009
OSD User Pedon ID: S1988FL087009
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.