LOCATION COLUMBUS MS+AL
Established Series
Rev. FVB:WMK:RBH
10/2018
COLUMBUS SERIES
The Columbus series consists of moderately well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in loamy marine sediments. These soils are nearly level low stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Aquic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Columbus silt loam on a nearly level slope in cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
B21t--6 to 16 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; slightly plastic, slightly sticky; few fine roots; few fine brown and black concretions; continuous clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
B22t--16 to 21 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; common fine and medium distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) and few fine prominent yellowish red mottles; moderate fine and medium
subangular blocky structure; firm; slightly plastic, slightly sticky; few fine roots; few fine pores; patchy clay films on faces of peds; few fine brown and black concretions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
B23t--21 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; many fine and medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and common fine and medium prominent red (2.5YR 5/6) mottles; moderate medium subangular and angular blocky structure; firm; slightly plastic, slightly sticky; few fine roots; few fine pores; patchy clay films on faces of peds; few fine brown and black concretions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
B3--28 to 52 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam; many fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; few patchy clay films on faces of peds; coats of very fine sand on faces of some peds; few fine brown and black concretions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 30 inches thick)
C1--52 to 70 inches; mottled light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; massive; friable; few fine roots; few fine black and brown concretions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
IIC2--70 to 76 inches; mottled light gray (2.5Y 7/2), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand; single grained; loose; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Lowndes County, Mississippi; 2.5 miles northwest of Columbus; 150 feet north of log road and 30 feet west of woods into cultivated field. SE1/4NW1/4 sec. 12, R. 19 W., T. 18 S.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 35 to 60 inches. Reaction ranges from strongly to very strongly acid except for those surface soils that have been limed.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4, or hue of 2.5Y, value of 4, and chroma of 2. Texture is silt loam or loam.
The B21t horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is clay loam, loam, or sandy clay loam.
The B22t and B23t horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 8 with mottles in shades of brown, gray, or red, or the horizons are mottled in shades of brown, gray, and red. Mottles with chroma of 2 or less are in the upper 24 inches of the Bt horizon. Total thickness of the Bt horizon is from 18 to 36 inches. The upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon has clay content that ranges from 18 to 33 percent and has more than 25 percent silt. Texture is clay loam, or sandy clay loam.
The B3 horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 with mottles in shades of brown and red, or it is mottled in shades of gray, brown, and red. Texture is sandy clay loam, or loam.
The C horizon is mottled in shades of brown or gray, or it has a matrix with hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8 with mottles in shades of brown and gray. Texture is sandy loam, loamy sand, or sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Eunola,
Pelion, and
Whitwell series in the same family, and the
Abell,
Altavista,
Bertie,
Cahaba,
Johns, and
Tetotum series in similar families. Abell, Altavista, Bertie, and Tetotum soils have mixed mineralogy. Cahaba soils do not have mottles with chroma of 2 or less within the upper 24 inches of the argillic horizon. Eunola soils have less than 25 percent silt in the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon. Johns soils have contrasting textures in the control section. Pelion soils have common coarse flakes of mica and slightly brittle consistence in the lower B horizons. Whitwell soils have up to 15 percent cobblestones and commonly have stratified C horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Columbus soils are on nearly level low stream terraces of the Southern Coastal Plains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The climate is warm and humid. Mean annual
precipitation is about 51 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 63 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the smiliar
Cahaba series and the
Annemaine and
Steens series. Annemaine soils are on similar landscapes, but have clayey control sections. Cahaba soils are on similar landscapes. Steens soils are not as well drained and are on a slightly higher terrace level.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Columbus soils are moderately well drained. Runoff is slow and permeability is moderate. A water table is at a depth of 2.0 to 3.0 feet late in winter and early spring. Some areas are flooded during periods of high rainfall.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for growing soybeans, pasture, and hay. Forested areas are mainly in mixed pine and hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Coastal Plains of Mississippi. The series is of minor extent
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lowndes County, Mississippi; 1977.
REMARKS: These soils would formerly have been classified in the Red-Yellow Podzolic great soil group. These soils have been included in the Prentiss series.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.