LOCATION CORTELYOU AL+MS

Established Series
SP, GRB
10/2018

CORTELYOU SERIES

The Cortelyou series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, moderately permeable soils on stream terraces and old levees of large drainage ways. They formed in thick beds of loamy over sandy fluvial sediments of the Southern Coastal Plain. Near the type location, the mean annual precipitation is about 60 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 65 degrees F. Slopes range from 1 to 5 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Aquic Hapludults

TYPICAL PEDON: Cortelyou fine sandy loam, on a slightly convex 2 percent slope in a small wildlife food plot at an elevation of 35 feet above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil).

A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)

E--3 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

Bt1--8 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--16 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the upper Bt horizons range from 10 to 28 inches)

Bt3--23 to 32 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common medium faint very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and few medium faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few fine prominent percent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulations; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt4--32 to 52 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; common coarse faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; common medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the lower Bt horizons range from 8 to 45 inches)

C--52 to 80 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy sand; single grain; loose; common coarse faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; common medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Alabama; about 2.6 miles south of Leroy; 1,200 feet south and 450 feet east of the northwest corner of Section 42, T. 6 N., R. 1 E; USGS Prestwick topographic quadrangle; Lat. 31 degrees 27 minutes 44 seconds N.; Long. 87 degrees 58 minute 15 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is less than 60 inches. The seasonal high water table fluctuates from 18 to 30 inches from the surface. Content of gravel ranges from non to as much as 10 percent of the volume throughout the profile. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid throughout except where the surface has been limed.

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

The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4to 6, and chroma of 2 to4. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam.

The upper part of the Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 3 to 8. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown and red range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam or fine sandy loam.

The lower part of the Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 3 to 8. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, red and gray range from few to many. Texture is commonly fine sandy loam or sandy loam but may contain thin strata of sandy clay loam or loam.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8 and chroma of 3 or 8. Many pedons have no dominant color and are multicolored in shades of yellow, brown and gray. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, red and gray range from few to many. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand; some pedons have pockets or thin strata of fine sandy loam.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family. Closely related soils include Bonnerdale, Harleston and Nansemond soils. The somewhat poorly drained Bonnerdale soils formed in weakly cemented tilted shale with thin strata of interbedded sandstone in the Quachita Mountain uplands in Arkansas. Harleston soils have a solum thicker than 60 inches. Nansemond soils are in non-flooding marine terraces in Virginia and South Carolina and receive considerably less rainfall than Cortelyou soils. They have a subactive cation exchange activity class.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cortelyou soils are on nearly level to gently sloping stream terraces and old levees in the Southern Coastal Plain that are subject to flooding. Slopes range from 1 to 5 percent. They formed in sandy and loamy fluvial sediments. The mean annual temperature ranges from 62 to 67 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 55 to 65 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Benndale, Bibb, Daleville, Johnston, Savannah and Smithton soils. The well drained Benndale and moderately well drained Savannah soils are in slightly higher positions and are not subject to flooding. The poorly drained Bibb and Johnston soils are on lower flood plain positions. The poorly drained Daleville and Smithton soils are on slightly lower positions on lower terrace levels.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; permeability is moderate to moderately rapid in the solum and rapid in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Cortelyou soils are in stands of planted pines. A few areas are used for pasture or for growing corn, soybeans, and small grains along with food plots for wildlife.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Coastal Plain of Alabama, Mississippi and possibly Florida. The series is of small known extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washington County, Alabama, 2010.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to 8 inches (A and E horizons).

Argillic horizon - the zone from 8 to 52 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 and Bt4 horizons).

Aquic feature - chroma of 2 or less beginning at a depth of 23 inches in the matrix of the argillic horizon.

Formerly mapped as the Harleston series but further investigation in Washington County revealed a dominant condition of a solum less than 60 inches thick underlain by sandy alluvium.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Cortelyou soils are in MLRA 133A.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.