LOCATION CASEMORE AL

Established Series
Rev. MCH: CZF: PGM; GRB
10/2018

CASEMORE SERIES

The Casemore series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately permeable soils on low stream terraces paralleling major streams of the Southern Coastal Plain (MLRA 133A) and the Alabama and Mississippi Blackland Prairie (MLRA 135A) Major Land Resource Areas. They formed in loamy alluvium. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Near the type location, the average annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is about 56 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aquic Paleudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Casemore fine sandy loam on a nearly level slope in idle cropland. (Colors are for moist soil.)

Ap--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bt1--5 to 10 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) fine sandy loam; weak coarse prisms that part to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt2--10 to 28 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) sandy clay loam; weak coarse prisms that part to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt3--28 to 44 inches; 35 percent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), 35 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), and 30 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; areas of light olive brown and light brownish gray are iron depletions; areas of strong brown are masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt4--44 to 52 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine soft black masses of iron and manganese oxides; many fine and medium distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions; common fine and medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt5--52 to 70 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine soft black masses of iron and manganese oxides; common coarse distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron depletions; common medium and coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt6--70 to 80 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) sandy clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine soft black masses of iron and manganese oxides; common medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions; common fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 50 to more than 80 inches.)

TYPE LOCATION: Hale County, Alabama. Approximately 1.0 mile southwest of the Casemore community. About 300 feet south and 500 feet west of the northeast corner of Sec. 5, T. 18 N., R. 4 E. USGS Casemore, AL topographic quadrangle; Lat. 32 degrees 33 minutes 17 seconds N. and Long. 87 degrees 42 minutes 37 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid in the A, Ap and E horizon except where the surface has been limed. It is very strongly acid to slightly acid in the upper part of the Bt horizon and very strongly acid to slightly alkaline in the lower part of the Bt horizon and Btg horizon.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. Redox accumulations in shades of brown and red and redox depletions in shades of brown and gray range from none to common.
Texture is loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.

The E horizon, present in some pedons, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is fine sandy loam or sandy loam.

Transition horizons, such as EB or BE, occur in some pedons. They have a range in color and texture similar to that of the respective E or B horizon.

The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8; or it has no dominant matrix color and is multicolored in shades of brown, red, yellow, and gray. Redox features in shades of brown, yellow, red and gray range from few or many. Soft masses and/or concretions of iron and manganese oxides range from none to common. Texture is fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam.

The Btg horizon, present in some pedons, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redox accumulations in shades of brown, yellow, and red range from few to many. Soft black masses and/or concretions of iron and manganese range from few to many. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or clay. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Casemore soils are on low stream terraces paralleling major streams of the Gulf Coastal Plain and the Blackland Prairie. They developed in thick beds of loamy alluvium. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The average annual precipitation ranges from 48 to 60 inches. The average annual air temperature ranges from 63 to 68 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Faunsdale, Freest, Houlka, Leeper, Marietta, Minter, Sucarnoochee, and Vaiden soils. Faunsdale and Vaiden soils are on adjacent uplands at slightly higher elevations and are clayey throughout. The moderately well drained Freest soils are in slightly higher, more convex positions. Houlka, Leeper, Marietta, and Sucarnoochee soils are on adjacent flood plains. The Houlka, Leeper, and Sucarnoochee soils are clayey throughout. Marietta soils are moderately well drained and do not have an argillic horizon. The poorly drained Minter soils are in slightly lower positions on stream terraces and have a clayey argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Casemore soils are somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is slow and permeability is moderate. Free water is at a depth of 1.0 to 2.0 feet during December to April in normal years. Most areas are subject to rare or occasional flooding for brief periods during late winter and spring.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Casemore soils are in cultivated crops, pasture, or hayland. Some areas are in native forest of mixed hardwoods and pine or has been planted to loblolly pine. Common crops include cotton, corn, soybeans, and grain sorghum.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 133A, Southern Coastal Plain and MLRA 135, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas Blackland Prairie of Alabama and possibly Mississippi. The series is of small known extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hale County, Alabama; 2001.

REMARKS: Casemore soils were formerly included with the Columbus and Steens series. The name is from the Casemore community in Hale County, Alabama.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - from the surface of the soil to about 5 inches (Ap horizon).

Argillic horizon - from about 8 inches to 80 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5 and Bt6 horizons).

Aquic features - aquic conditions and low chroma redox depletions in one or more horizons within 75 cm of the mineral soil surface (Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).
Casemore soils are in MLRAs 133A and 135A.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available on the National Soil Survey website at: http://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/querypage.aspx

Laboratory data was provided by Auburn University, Soil Characterization laboratory, Auburn AL.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.