LOCATION BAYOU AL
Established Series
Rev. LFR: CO; GRB
04/2014
BAYOU SERIES
The Bayou series consists of very deep, poorly drained, moderately slowly permeable soils on flats in the Eastern Gulf Coast Flatwoods (MLRA 152A). They formed in loamy sediments of marine origin. Near the type location, the average annual temperature is about 67 degrees, F., and the average annual rainfall is about 63 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Typic Paleaquults
TYPICAL PEDON: Bayou sandy loam, on a smooth 1 percent slope in a woodland (Colors are for moist soil).
A1--0 to 5 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
A2--5 to 9 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; few medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) areas of iron and organic matter depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Eg--9 to 18 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common medium distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) masses of iron accumulation; few medium distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) masses of organic matter; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Btg1--18 to 26 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few to common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 18 inches thick)
Btg2--26 to 43 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and red (2.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg3--43 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly compact; few faint clay films on faces of peds; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), common medium distinct yellow (2.5Y 7/6) and red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg4--60 to 66 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy clay loam;; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly compact; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few pockets of sandy loam; few to common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4), and light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) masses of iron accumulation very strongly acid. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizons range from 12 to 42 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Mobile County, Alabama. Approximately 2.5 miles west of West Fowl River on Alabama Highway 188; about 2,600 feet east and 600 feet north of the SW corner of Sec. 5, T. 8 S., R. 2. W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid in the upper part and from extremely acid to moderately acid in the lower part except where the surface has been limed.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5YR, value of 2 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 2. Few to common fine or medium mottles in shades of gray, brown, or yellow are present in this horizon in most pedons. Texture is sandy loam or loam.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, brown and yellow range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam or loam.
The Bw horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, brown and yellow range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam or loam.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, brown, yellow and red range from few to many. Some pedons have no dominant color and are multicolored in shades of gray, brown, yellow and red. Some pedons may have small pockets of coarser-textured material in the lower horizons. Some pedons also have a few nodules of plinthite in the lower horizons. Texture is sandy loam or loam in the upper part and ranges to sandy clay loam or clay loam in the lower part.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Smithton and
Woodington series. Smithton soils are on similar positions but have more than 30 percent silt in the particle size control section and are in MLRA 133B. Woodington soils have a clay decrease at less than a 60-inch depth.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bayou soils are on broad, nearly level areas of the Eastern Gulf Coast Flatwoods. They formed in loamy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is approximately 63 inches and the mean annual temperature is approximately 67 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Atmore,
Escambia,
Grady,
Harleston and
Johnston series. Atmore and Escambia soils have 5 percent or more plinthite within 60 inches of the surface. In addition, Escambia soils are somewhat poorly drained and are on higher positions. Grady soils are in depressions and have clayey control sections. The moderately well drained Harleston soils are on higher positions. The very poorly drained Johnston soils are on slightly lower drainageways and have an umbric epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Bayou soils are poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate in the upper part of the profile and moderately slow in the lower part of the profile.
USE AND VEGETATION: Bayou soils are primarily used for timber production and wildlife habitat. A few areas have been cleared and are used for pasture. Native over story vegetation consists mainly of longleaf pine with an understory of southern bayberry, inkberry, swamp cyrilla, black gum, water oak, bluestems, goldenrod, yellow eyed grass, panicum, blazing star, and pitcher plants.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Gulf Coast Flatwoods of southern Alabama, Mississippi and possibly Florida. The series is of small known extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mobile County, Alabama; 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 18 inches (A1, A2 and Eg horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 18 to 66 inches (Btg1, Btg2, Btg3 and Btg4 horizons).
Bayou soils were formerly classified in the Low-Humic Gley great soil group. They were included in the Smithton series. Bayou soils have site indices for longleaf, loblolly, and slash pine that are significantly lower than for Smithton soils. The average site index for longleaf pine (based on 10 sites with 5 trees per site) was 47 feet, for slash pine (based on 2 sites with 5 trees per site) was 62 feet and for loblolly (based on 1 site with 5 trees) was 65 feet.
Bayou soils are saturated during the wet season, primarily in winter and early spring months and have seasonal water tables that range from 0 to 1.0 foot of the surface.
Bayou soils are in MLRA 152A.
ADDITIONAL DATA: No data is available at the time of this update.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.