LOCATION RATTLESNAKE FORKS AL+MS

Established Series
SP, RLW, GRB
12/2014

RATTLESNAKE FORKS SERIES

The Rattlesnake Forks series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained, moderately rapid permeable soils on ridges and hill slopes of uplands of the Coastal Plain. They formed in thick beds of sandy fluvial and marine deposits. Near the type location, the mean annual precipitation is about 60 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 66 degrees F. Slopes range from 1 to 35 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Thermic, coated Lamellic Quartzipsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Rattlesnake Forks loamy fine sand, in an area of planted longleaf pine on a north-facing, convex 7 percent slope at an elevation of about 245 feet above sea level (Colors are for moist soil).

Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loamy fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots, few coarse roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

E1--5 to 11 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand; single grain; loose; few dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic stains coating sand grains; common fine and many medium roots; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.

E2--11 to 27 inches; light brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand; single grain; loose; few medium roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

E3--27 to 33 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand; single grain; loose; few fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons range from 24 to 65 inches in thickness)

E&Bt1--33 to 50 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) (E) loamy sand; single grain; loose; about 8 percent yellowish red (5YR 5/6) (Bt) loamy sand lamellae about 3.5 cm thick averaging 0.5 cm thick per lamella; weak fine granular structure; sand grains in lamellae are coated; individual lamellae are discontinuous in length; few fine roots; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

E&Bt2--50 to 69 inches; yellow (10YR 7/6) (E) sand; single grain; loose; about 6 percent yellowish red (5YR 5/6) (Bt) loamy sand lamellae about 3.0 cm thick averaging 0.5 cm thick per lamella; weak fine granular structure; sand grains in lamellae are coated; individual lamellae are discontinuous in length; few very fine roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

E&Bt3--69 to 80 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) (E) sand; single grain; loose; about 9 percent yellowish red (5YR 5/6) (Bt) loamy sand lamellae about 3.0 cm thick averaging 0.5 cm thick per lamella; weak fine granular structure; sand grains in lamellae are coated; individual lamellae are discontinuous in length; about 1 percent, by volume, ironstone fragments; few very fine roots; moderately acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Alabama. Approximately 2.5 miles southeast of Sims Chapel; about 1,600 feet south and 1,200 feet west of the NE corner of Section 36; T. 3 N., R. 2 W. Latitude 31 degrees 10 minutes 58 seconds N.; Longitude. 88 degrees 07 minutes 44 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of sand and seasonal high saturation is 80 inches or more. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout. Depth to lamellae ranges from 30 to 72 inches. Cumulative thickness of lamellae ranges from 1 cm to 15 cm. Content of silt-plus-clay in the 10 to 40-inch control section ranges from 10 to 25 percent. Some pedons contain few quartz pebbles. Pebble and cobble-sized nodules and concretions of iron and manganese cemented sand on the surface and throughout the profile range from none to common.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is loamy fine sand or loamy sand.

The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 3 to 8. Streaks and pockets of uncoated sand grains range from none to many. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.

The E part of the E&Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 6. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Sand grains are mostly uncoated. The B part (lamellae) of the E&Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam. The lamellae range from 1 to 75 mm thick and range from 1 cm to more than 1 m in horizontal length.

The C horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 1 to 6. Texture is sand or fine sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These include the Alpin, Catpoint, Duffern, and Hainesville series in the same family. The excessively drained Alpin and Duffern soils have fewer fines in the control section. The somewhat excessively drained Catpoint and Hainesville soils are on terrace positions of large streams and have a seasonal water table between depths of 48 to 72 inches. In addition, Hainesville soils are dry in the moisture control section for 60 to 90 cumulative days in most years.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rattlesnake Forks soils are on dissected uplands. They formed in thick beds of sandy fluvial and marine deposits. The climate is humid subtropical. Slopes range from 1 to 35 percent. The average annual precipitation ranges from 57 to 62 inches, and the average annual temperature ranges from 62 to 70 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blanton, Lakeland, Maubila, Olla, Rutan and Toinette series. Blanton, Lakeland Maubila and Olla soils lack lamellae. Blanton and Toinette soils are on similar positions and have argillic horizons thicker than 7.5cm. In addition, Blanton soils have an argillic horizon between 40 and 80 inches deep and Toinette soils have a sandy surface and subsurface layers 20 to 40 inches in thickness. The excessively drained Lakeland soils are on similar to higher positions and do not have lamellae. The moderately well drained Maubila soils are on similar to lower positions and have clayey control sections. The well-drained Rutan and Olla soils are on similar positions but have coarse-loamy and fine-loamy control sections, respectively.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; rapidly permeable in the E horizons and moderately rapid in E&Bt horizons.

USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas of Rattlesnake Forks soils are planted to pine. Some small areas have been cleared and are used for pasture and crops. The native vegetation consists of mixed, longleaf pine, slash pine, water oak, sweetgum, turkey oak, blackjack oak, and bluejack oak. The understory is dominated by sparkleberry, yaupon holly, bluestem, low panicums, smilax and native annual forbs.

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

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Washington County, Alabama; 2007.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 34 inches (Ap, E1, E2, and E3 horizons).

Coated control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (E1, E2 and E3 and E&Bt1 horizons).

Lamellae - occurring between depths of 34 to more than 80 inches (E&Bt1, E&Bt2 and E&Bt3 horizons).

Rattlesnake Forks soils were formerly mapped in the Lakeland series. This concept provides for sandy soils that have lamellae that total less than 6 inches thick within depths of 80 inches.

Depth to seasonal water table is more than 80 inches.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization pedon - Washington County, Alabama S10AL-126-005(1-7). Sample by the Soil Laboratory, Agronomy and Soils Department, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.

Rattlesnake soils are in MLRA 133A.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.