LOCATION LOUISBURG GA+AL NC SC VA
Established Series
Rev. RHB
09/2025
LOUISBURG SERIES
MLRA(s): 136 (thermic part)
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Southeast
Depth Class: Very deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Low
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: High
Shrink-Swell Potential: Low
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from felsic igneous and metamorphic rock, primarily granite and granite gneiss.
Slope: 6 to 45 percent
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 16 degrees C (60 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1143 millimeters (45 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Louisburg gravelly sandy loam in an area of Rawlings-Louisburg-Buckhead complex, 15 to 45 percent slopes, very stony--forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly sandy loam; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many very fine, fine, and medium and common coarse roots; few fine flakes of mica; 12 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 3 percent stones; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 23 centimeters (2 to 9 inches) thick)
E--10 to 18 centimeters (4 to 7 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; few fine flakes of mica; 12 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) thick)
Bt1--18 to 36 centimeters (7 to 14 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; few faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few fine flakes of mica; 10 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--36 to 66 centimeters (14 to 26 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine, fine, and medium, and few coarse roots; few distinct brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few fine flakes of mica; 8 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 38 to 76 centimeters (15 to 30 inches)
BC--66 to 91 centimeters (26 to 36 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine flakes of mica; 10 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 51 centimeters (0 to 20 inches) thick)
C--91 to 152 centimeters (36 to 60 inches); 50 percent light brown (7.5YR 6/4), 40 percent red (2.5YR 4/6), and 10 percent very pale brown (10YR 8/3) gravelly sandy loam saprolite; massive; friable; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots in fractures; common fine flakes of mica; 10 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 2 percent highly weathered stones; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Morgan County, Georgia; 800 feet east of Rutledge Road and 4,600 feet north of the Fambaugh Bridge Road bridge over Hard Labor Creek; USGS Rutledge North, GA topographic quadrangle.
Latitude--33.649722
Longitude-- -83.576944
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum Thickness: 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Rock Fragment Content: 0 to 35 percent, by volume, throughout. Some subhorizons can range to 60 percent, by volume.
Soil Reaction: Very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 2 to 4
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, or loamy coarse sand
E horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 2 to 4
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, or loamy coarse sand
Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 4 to 8. Mottles range from none to common and are in shades of red, brown, and yellow.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, or loam. Some pedons may have thin subhorizons of sandy clay loam.
BC horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 4 to 8. Mottles range from none to common and are in shades of red, brown, and yellow.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, or loam. Some pedons may have thin subhorizons of loamy sand.
C horizon:
Color--multicolored in shades of red, yellow, and brown
Texture--sandy loam or coarse sandy loam saprolite
Cr horizon, (if it occurs):
Color-- multicolored in shades of red, yellow, and brown
Texture--highly weathered felsic igneous and metamorphic rock, primarily granite and granite gneiss.
R horizon, (if it occurs):
Color--multicolored in shades of red, yellow, and brown
Texture--slightly weathered hard felsic igneous and metamorphic rock, primarily granite and granite gneiss.
COMPETING SERIES:
Bojac soils--formed in loamy and sandy stratified fluvial sediments and are located on flood plains and stream terraces.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont upland
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from felsic igneous and metamorphic rock, primarily granite and granite gneiss.
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 65 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1143 to 1321 millimeters (45 to 52 inches)
Frost-free Period: 210 to 240 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Appling soils--have a clayey subsoil
Ashlar soils--have a depth to hard bedrock 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Bethlehem soils--have a clayey subsoil, are red in color, and have a depth to soft bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Buckhead soils--have a fine-loamy subsoil
Cecil soils--have a clayey subsoil and are red in color
Hard Labor soils--have a clayey subsoil and are moderately well drained
Madison soils--have a clayey subsoil, are red in color, and contain mica
Pacolet soils-- have a clayey subsoil and are red in color
Rawlings soils--have a fine-loamy subsoil and have a depth to hard bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Rion soils--have a fine-loamy subsoil
Rolesville soils--have a sandy subsoil and a depth to hard bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Saw soils--have a clayey subsoil, are red in color, and have a depth to hard bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Wake soils--have a sandy subsoil and a depth to hard bedrock of 10 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches)
Wateree soils--have a depth to hard bedrock of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Wedowee soils--have a clayey subsoil
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Low
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: High
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Woodland and some cropland and pasture
Dominant Vegetation: Where wooded--post oak, white oak, and red oaks but there are some hickories, dogwoods, and shortleaf and loblolly pines.
Where cultivated--corn, small grain, and vegetables
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Extent: Low
SERIES ESTABLISHED: DeKalb County, Georgia; 1938.
REMARKS:
Louisburg soils were formerly classified in the Lithosol great soil group. The July 1975 revision changed the series from a moderately deep Typic Dystrochrept to a very deep Ruptic Ultic Dystrochrept with variable depth to lithic or paralithic contact. The purpose was to describe a complex of Dytrochrepts and Hapludults. The series was little used after the 1975 revision as the Ashlar, Wateree and Rion soils were used for these complexes. This revision restores part of the concept of the Louisburg series for the very deep component that occurs in many or most of these map units. 05/07 BC added to RIC. (RHB) The September 2025 revision reformatted the description to semi-tabular. No data was changed.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches) (A and E horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 18 to 66 centimeters (7 to 26 inches) (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA:
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
GA0038 LOUISBURG 2-50 60-65 210-240 45-52 500-800
GA0059 LOUISBURG 6-50 60-65 210-240 45-52 500-800
GA0086 LOUISBURG 2-50 60-65 210-240 45-52 500-800
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
GA0038 NONE >6.0 - >60
GA0059 NONE >6.0 - >60
GA0086 NONE >6.0 - >60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
GA0038 0-7 LS LCOS 0-15 75-98 2-12 -
GA0038 0-7 SL FSL 0-15 75-95 5-15 -
GA0038 7-36 SL 0-15 75-98 7-18 -
GA0038 36-60 SL COSL 0-15 75-98 2-12 -
GA0059 0-7 ST-SL ST-LS ST-LCOS 25-38 70-83 2-15 -
GA0059 0-7 STV-SL 35-50 70-83 2-15 -
GA0059 7-36 ST-SL 25-38 75-83 7-18 -
GA0059 36-60 ST-SL ST-COSL 25-38 70-83 2-15 -
GA0086 0-7 GR-LS GR-LCOS 0-15 50-75 2-12 -
GA0086 0-7 GR-SL GR-FSL GR-COSL 0-15 50-75 5-15 -
GA0086 7-36 GR-SL GR-COSL 0-15 60-90 7-18 -
GA0086 36-60 GR-SL GR-COSL 0-15 60-90 2-12 -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
GA0038 0-7 4.5-6.0 .5-2. 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0038 0-7 4.5-6.0 .5-2. 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0038 7-36 4.5-6.0 - 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0038 36-60 4.5-6.0 - 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0059 0-7 4.5-6.0 .5-2. 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0059 0-7 4.5-6.0 .5-2. 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0059 7-36 4.5-6.0 - 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0059 36-60 4.5-6.0 - 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0086 0- 7 4.5-6.0 .5-2. 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0086 0- 7 4.5-6.0 .5-2. 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0086 7-36 4.5-6.0 - 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
GA0086 36-60 4.5-6.0 - 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
________________________________________
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.