LOCATION PILGRIMS           FL
Established Series
Rev. DMK-WGH
02/97

PILGRIMS SERIES


The Pilgrims series consists of somewhat poorly drained soils that are moderately deep to fractured porous limestone bedrock. They are slowly permeable soils that formed in sandy and clayey marine deposits. These soils are on broad, nearly level low uplands of the lower Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Albaquic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Pilgrims fine sand - on a 1 percent slope of forested low uplands. (Colors are for moist soils.)

Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sand; weak
fine granular structure; very friable; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

E--6 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand; common white streaks or pockets of uncoated sand grains with many fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) mottles; single grained; loose; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 14 inches thick)

Bt--9 to 24 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy clay; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), many fine distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) and many fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) mottles; strong medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many thin clay skins; neutral; abrupt irregular boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)

2R--24 inches; fractured porous limestone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Wakulla County, Florida; 0.5 miles northeast of Blue Sink, about 2 miles northwest of Newport, southeast quarter, northeast quarter, sec. 11, T.3S, R.1E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum thickness and depth to limestone bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches, with solution holes extending below 80 inches in some pedons. Soil reaction ranges from extremely acid to very strongly acid in the A and E horizons and from medium acid to moderately alkaline in the Bt horizon.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is fine sand or sand.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 3. The lower part of the E horizon in some pedons have yellowish brown, and dark yellowish brown mottles. Some pedons have streaks and pockets of clean sand grains. Texture is fine sand or sand.

The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 6, with mottles in shades of brown, gray and yellow. Texture is sandy clay loam or sandy clay. The weighted average clay content of the particle-size control section is more than 35 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: The Invershiel and Orange series in the same family. The Orange soils formed in saprolite. The Invershiel soils are underlain by calcareous material at depths between 20 and 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pilgrims soils are on nearly level low uplands. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in loamy and sandy marine sediments overlying fractured porous limestone bedrock. Near the type location the mean annual rainfall is about 57 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 68 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chaires, Shadeville, Leon, Moriah, Nutall, and Tooles soils. Chaires and Leon soils are poorly drained and have spodic horizons. Shadeville soils are moderately well drained and occupy slightly higher positions on the landscape. Moriah soils have a combined A and E horizon thickness more than 20 inches thick and the limestone bedrock is more than 40 inches below the surface. Nutall and Tooles soils are poorly drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: These soils are somewhat poorly drained. The depth to the seasonal high water table ranges between 18 to 36 inches for 2 to 5 months in most years. The porous nature of the limestone underlying this soil will permit this soil to become saturated by artesian flow. This occurs in areas adjacent to rivers and streams during periods of high water. Permeability is rapid in the A and E horizons and slow in the Bt horizon. Runoff is slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is used for planted pines. Natural vegetation consists of slash pine, loblolly pine, spruce pines, water oak, and laurel oak. Hickory, dogwood, and persimmon are also present with an understory of pineland threeawn and greenbrier.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are of moderate extent on the lower Coastal Plain.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wakulla County, Florida, 1988.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to a depth of about 6 inches (Ap horizon).

Argillic horizon - The zone from 9 to 24 inches below the surface (Bt horizon).


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.