LOCATION MCKISSACK FL
Tentative Series
ARW
09/2026
MCKISSACK SERIES
MLRA(s)--152A
Depth class--Very deep
Drainage class--Subaqueous
Water depth range--0 to 3 meters (0 to 10 feet)
Parent material--Sandy estuarine deposits
Geomorphic location--Estuarine tidal streams
Slope range--0 to 1 percent
Mean annual air temperature--21 degrees C (70 degrees F)
Mean annual water temperature--24 degrees C (75 degrees F)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Siliceous, hyperthermic Fluventic Psammowassents
TYPICAL PEDON: McKissack sand in an estuarine tidal stream under 1.7 meters of brackish water. (colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated; electrical conductivity is 1:5 by volume solution mixture unless otherwise stated).
Cse1--0 to 17 centimeters; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) sand; single grain; nonsticky, nonplastic; nonfluid; no sulfurous odor; 25 percent prominent black (N 2.5/) organic stains between sand grains; color change with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide; slight effervescence with 30 percent hydrogen peroxide; 2 percent plant fiber; saline (3.1 dS/m); slightly alkaline (pH 7.4), neutral (pH 7.0) oxidized pH; gradual boundary
Cse2--17 to 155 centimeters; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sand; single grain; nonsticky, nonplastic; nonfluid; 40 percent prominent black (N 2.5/) organic stains between sand grains; 2 percent wood fragments; no sulfurous odor; color change with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide; slight effervescence with 30 percent hydrogen peroxide; saline (2.8 dS/m); slightly alkaline (pH 7.4), neutral (pH 6.8) oxidized pH; gradual boundary
Cse3--155 to 200 centimeters; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sand; single grain; nonsticky, nonplastic; nonfluid; 30 percent prominent black (N 2.5/) organic stains between sand grains; slight sulfurous odor; color change with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide; slight effervescence with 30 percent hydrogen peroxide; saline (2.8 dS/m); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8), neutral (pH 7.1) oxidized pH
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Florida; Carrabelle River; approximately 0.3 kilometers (0.2 miles) south of Kapes Bayou, approximately 1.1 kilometers (0.7 miles) north of the intersection of Sandy Road and River Road, and approximately 0.9 kilometers (0.5) miles east of the intersection of Mill Road and River Road; USGS topographic quadrangle: Carrabelle, FL
Latitude--29.8574170
Longitude-- -84.6811130
Datum--WGS84
Coordinate source--from hand-held GPS
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock--Greater than 200 centimeters
Manner of failure--Nonfluid to slightly fluid throughout
Sulfurous odor--None to slight throughout
Soil reaction--Neutral to slightly alkaline throughout profile (pH 6.6 to 7.8)
Oxidized reaction--Very strongly acid to neutral throughout profile (pH 4.5 to 7.3)
Electrical conductivity (1:5 soil to water solution)--2.0 to 4.0 dS m-1 throughout profile
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Shell fragments--0 to 30 percent
Sand--75 to 95 percent
Clay--2 to 10 percent
Total soil organic carbon stock 0 to 100 centimeters--3 to 7 kg m-2
Total soil organic carbon stock 0 to 200 centimeters--5 to 12 kg m-2
Cse horizons:
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--2.5 to 4
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--Coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand and their shelly analogs
Organic carbon density--2 to 6 kg m-3
Cseg or Cg horizons (where present):
Hue--2.5Y to N
Value--2.5 to 4
Chroma--none to 2
Texture--Loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
Organic carbon density--1 to 4 kg m-3
COMPETING SERIES:
These are the
Broadaxe,
Eastpoint,
Lutz,
Mullet,
Pelican Reef,
Sandbank, and
Thalinectes series.
Broadaxe soils--Formed on submerged wave-cut platforms and contain buried spodic horizons.
Eastpoint soils--Formed on submerged wave-cut platforms, often have chroma's of 2 or less, and do not have hues of 7.5YR or organic stains between sand grains.
Lutz soils--Formed on flood-tidal deltas, and do not have hues of 7.5YR or, organic stains between sand grains.
Mullet soils--Formed on washover-fan flats, do not allow chroma of 3, and commonly have hues of 5GY or 10GY.
Pelican Reef soils--Formed on relict flood-tidal deltas and have higher organic carbon densities in the surface.
Sandbank soils--Formed on estuarine tidal stream deltas, do not allow chroma of 3, and have very fine mica flakes throughout the profile with no organic stains between sand grains.
Thalinectes soils--Formed on washover-fans and longshore bars, do not allow chroma of 3, and have higher soil organic carbon densities in the surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape--Bays and Lagoons along the Gulf Coast
Landform--Estuarine tidal streams
Parent material--Sandy estuarine deposits
Slope--0 to 1 percent
Water depth range--0 to 3 meters (0 to 10 feet) below mean sea level
Water salinity range--5 to 25 parts per thousand
Water temperature range--18 to 30 degrees C (64 to 86 degrees F)
Soil temperature range--19 to 27 degrees C (66 to 81 degrees F)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the
Amtrac,
Apalachicola,
Broadaxe,
Dregs,
Eastpoint, and
Lighter soils.
Amtrac soils--Are on high-energy lagoon bottoms and barrier coves and formed in coarse-loamy lagoonal deposits.
Apalachicola soils--Are on bay and lagoon bottoms and formed in fine-loamy lagoonal deposits.
Dregs soils--Are on dredge-deposit shoals and formed in sandy, human transported materials
Dry Bar soils--Are on shoals and reefs and formed in sandy-skeletal lagoonal deposits.
Lighter soils--Are on estuarine tidal streams and formed in fine-loamy estuarine deposits
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--Subaqueous
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--High to very high
Soil moisture regime--Peraquic
Soil is continuously inundated by brackish water.
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses--These soils are used for vessel navigation and anchoring as well as recreational fishing and boating. These soils are occasionally dredged.
Typical vegetation--Vegetation is largely absent on McKissack soils due to sustained turbidity and water energy.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General area--Bays and Lagoons along the Gulf
Land Resource Region(s)--T - Atlantic and Gulf Coast Lowland Forest and Crop Region
MLRA(s)--152A
Extent--Small
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Special Projects Office
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Florida, 2026
REMARKS:
Typical Pedon Taxonomic Features:
Peraquic feature--Zero or positive soil water potential at the soil surface (permanently submerged)
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Thirteenth Edition, 2022
Other: Named after Charlie McKissack Cut in the Carrabelle River where first observed. It is assumed that the soil formed in eroded and transported spodic material from terrestrial soils. McKissack soils were previously mapped as water in Florida soil survey publications.
NASIS User Site and Pedon ID: S2025FL037049
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.