LOCATION CAHABA AL+AR FL GA LA MS OK SC VA
Established Series
Rev. GLH: LFR; GRB
12/2014
CAHABA SERIES
The Cahaba series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils on nearly level to sloping large stream and river terraces in the Lower part of the Southern Coastal Plain (MLRA 133A. They formed in loamy and sandy alluvium. Near the type location, the average annual temperature is 65 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is about 53 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Cahaba sandy loam, on a smooth 0.5 percent slope in a pasture (Colors are for moist soil).
Ap--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; few wormcasts; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
A/B--5 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) (A) and yellowish red (5YR 4/6) (B) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 18 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and few medium roots; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--18 to 53 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of some peds; sand grains are coated and bridged with clay; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons range from 24 to 50 inches)
C1--53 to 80 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy loam; massive; very friable; few fine roots; common fine flakes of mica; few medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) areas of iron accumulations; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
C2--80 to 90 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) sandy loam; massive; very friable; many fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Wilcox County, Alabama. Approximately 5.0 miles northwest of Camden on the Auburn University Lower Coastal Plain Substation. About two hundred yards south of silo and 100 feet east of gravel farm road. NE1/4, SW1/4, Sec. 29; T. 13 N., R. 7 E. Latitude 32 degrees, 04 minutes, 13.11 seconds N.; Longitude 87 degrees, 23 minutes, 28.62 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 36 to 60 inches. Clay content in the control section ranges from 18 to 35 percent, averaging about 25 percent; silt content ranges from 20 to 50 percent. Quartz Content of pebbles range from 0 to 15 percent, by volume, throughout the profile. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid throughout, except where the surface has been limed.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam.
The AB, A/B, B/A or BA horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 or 4 (A); or 4 or 5 (B). Chroma ranges from 2 to 4 (A) and 6 (B). Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam or sandy clay loam.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Texture is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
The BE, B/E, E/B or EB horizon, where present, is a mix of the E and B horizons. It has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10R to 5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma 6 or 8. Texture is sandy clay loam, loam, sandy clay, or clay loam.
The BC or CB horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 5 to 8. In some pedons, this horizon is mottled with shades of yellow and brown. Texture is fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
The C horizon has hue ranging from 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 6 or 8. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown and gray range from none to common. Few to common flakes of mica may be present in the lower horizons. Texture is sand, loamy sand, fine sandy loam or sandy loam and is commonly interbedded or stratified.
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Apison,
Biffle,
Durham,
Euharlee,
Granville,
Linker,
Murfreesboro,
Nauvoo,
Pikecity,
Pinoka,
Pirum,
Sipsey,
Stringtown and
Suffolk series. Apison and Euharlee soils have yellower subsoils and are on uplands in MLRA 128 (Southern Appalachian Ridges and Valleys) and Apison is moderately deep to soft shale. Biffle soils have yellower subsoils, are moderately deep to tripolite and are on uplands in MLRA 122 (
Highland Rim and Pennyroyal). Durham and Granville soils have yellower subsoils and are on uplands of MLRA 136 (Southern Piedmont). Linker and Pirum soils are moderately deep to sandstone and are on uplands of MLRA 119 (
Ouachita Mountains). Murfreesboro soils have more than 5 percent gravel throughout the profile and are on similar positions in MLRA 133B (Western Coastal Plain). Nauvoo soils are deep and very deep to sandstone bedrock and are on uplands of MLRA 128. Pikecity soils have more than 15 percent gravel by volume in the control section and are in MLRA 135 (Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas Blackland Prairie). Pinoka soils are moderately deep to Triassic sandstone and siltstone and are on uplands of MLRA 136. Sipsey soils are moderately deep to sandstone and are on uplands in MLRA 128. Stringtown soils have yellower subsoils and are on higher uplands in MLRA 133B. Suffolk soils have yellower subsoils are on higher adjacent positions.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cahaba soils are on low terraces of large streams and rivers and are subject to rare flooding. Some areas of Cahaba soils in lower positions are occasionally flooded. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. They formed sandy and loamy fluviatile sediments that contained appreciable amounts of silt. The climate is humid subtropical. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 65 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation of about 53 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing
Suffolk soils, these include
Annemaine,
Bassfield,
Craven,
Eunola,
Jedburg,
Kalmia,
Latonia,
Maxton, McQueen,
Myatt,
Tetotum,
Wahee and
Wickham soils. Annemaine, Craven, and Wahee soils are on slightly lower positions and have clayey control sections. In addition, Annemaine and Craven are moderately well drained and Wahee soils are somewhat poorly drained. Bassfield and Latonia soils are on similar positions but have coarse-loamy control sections. The moderately well drained Eunola and Tetotum soils are on slightly lower positions. The somewhat poorly drained Jedburg soils are on adjacent lower positions. Kalmia and Maxton soils are on similar positions but have a sandy C horizon within 40 inches of the surface. McQueen soils are on similar positions but have clayey control sections. The poorly drained Myatt soils are on lower positions. Wickham soils are on similar positions but have mixed mineralogy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Cahaba soils have been cleared and are used for the production of commonly grown crops such as corn and cotton. Some areas are in pasture land. The forested areas are in pines and mixed hardwoods or have been planted in loblolly and longleaf pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Coastal Plain of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma South Carolina and Virginia. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Henry County, Alabama; 1908.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 9 inches (Ap and A/B horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 9 to 53 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Cahaba soils are in MLRA 133A.
ADDITIONAL DATA: The following laboratory characterization data is available on the NSSL web site:
86AL087001 (Subactive)
86AL105001 (Subactive)
05AL007001 (Coarse-loamy)
05AL129001
45LA061002 (Fine-silty)
55LA015001 (Coarse-loamy; Paleudalf)
55LA015002 (Coarse-loamy; Hapludalf)
56AL105001
56LA105002
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.