LOCATION BIGBEE                  MS+AL FL GA LA TN

Established Series
Rev. WMK; WIS; RBH, GRB
01/2014

BIGBEE SERIES


The Bigbee series consists of very deep, excessively drained, rapidly permeable soils are on natural levees and higher positions in flood plains along stream flood plains in the Southern Coastal Plain (MLRA 133A) and the Eastern Gulf Coast Flatwoods (MLRA 152A). They formed in thick sandy alluvial sediments Near the type location, the average annual temperature is about 64 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 52 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Thermic, coated Typic Quartzipsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Bigbee loamy sand, in a nearly level pasture (Colors are for moist soil).

Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) loamy sand; single grain; loose; few fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)

C1--8 to 17 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) loamy sand; single grain; loose, very friable; few fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

C2--17 to 32 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand; single grain; loose; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the upper part of the C horizon is 20 to 40 inches)

C3--32 to 80 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand; single grain; loose; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Clay County, Mississippi. Approximately 7.0 miles east of the intersection of U.S. Highway 45W and Mississippi Highway 50; about 1.5 miles east on gravel road and about 2.0 miles northeast on gravel road, then north into pasture. SE1/4, NW1/4 Sec. 8, T. 17 S., R. 8 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the profile is 80 inches or more. Silt-plus-clay is 5 to 10 percent in the particle-size control section. Reaction is very strongly to moderately acid throughout the profile, except the surface has been limed.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.

The upper part of the C horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 4 to 6. Mottles in shades of brown range from none to few. Texture is sand, fine sand or loamy sand.

The lower part of the C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 6. Mottles in shades of brown and yellow range from none to common. Some pedons have mottles in shades of gray below a depth of 40 inches. Texture is fine sand or sand. Pockets of uncoated sand grains in the lower part of the C horizon range from none to common. Many pedons are underlain by gravel 6 to 16 feet below the surface.

COMPETING SERIES: These include the Alaga, Cainhoy, Darden, Foxworth, Glentosh, Lakeland, McNeely, Tonkawa, Turkey and Wando series in the same family. The Kershaw series is in a closely related family. All of these soils are on uplands and are not subject to flooding. Alaga soils are on have 10 to 25 percent silt-plus-clay content in the particle-size control section. Cainhoy soils have an E horizon over a Bh horizon below a depth of 80 inches. Darden, McNeely, Tonkawa and Turkey soils are in the Western Coastal Plain Major Land Resource Area (MLRA 133B). Foxworth soils are moderately well to somewhat excessively drained. Glentosh soils are in the Arkansas Valley and Ridges-Western Major Land Resource Area (MLRA 118B). Lakeland soils do not have a water table within a depth of 80 inches. Kershaw soils have less than 5 percent silt-plus-clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bigbee soils are on natural levees and higher positions in flood plains along stream channels. They formed in sandy alluvium. The climate is humid subtropical. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The average annual precipitation is 52 inches and average annual temperature is 64 degrees F., near the type location.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Alaga series and the Bassfield, Cahaba, Latonia and Nugent series. The well drained Bassfield, Cahaba and Latonia soils are on adjacent terraces, are farther away from the stream channel, have a clay decrease within 60 inches of the surface and are less likely to flood. In addition, Bassfield soils are red and coarse-loamy, Cahaba soils red and fine-loamy while Latonia soils are yellower and coarse-loamy. Nugent soils are on similar positions and have a sandy texture with thin strata of finer material in the upper 40 inches of the profile.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; rapidly permeable. Slow runoff. The soil is flooded for brief duration during high rainfall periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bigbee soils are used for hayland, pasture, truck crops and pine tree plantations. Many areas are in natural vegetation and are used for wildlife habitat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Geneva County, Alabama; 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to about 8 inches (Ap horizon).

These soils have a water table ranging from 20 to 40 inches for about two weeks each year and of a depth ranging 40 and 70 inches from one to two months each year.

In some areas of Bigbee soils, the depth to a seasonal high water table ranges from 20 to 40 inches for short periods and 40 to 70 inches for one to two months during high rainfall periods and the permanent water table is at about 8 feet from the surface. During updates, these areas will be separated from Bigbee soils and placed into existing or new series.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Chemical and Physical analyses for one pedon are in manuscript of Soil Survey of Jones County, Mississippi.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.