LOCATION SATILLA GAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, acid, thermic Thapto-Histic Fluvaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Satilla loam, on a smooth slightly concave 0.5 percent slope, in cultivation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described, the soil was wet below 18 inches.)
Ap--O to 5 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky; many very fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
A1--5 to 10 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) sandy clay loam; few medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) mottles; weak fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky; many very fine roots; many fine pores; 5 percent by volume partly decomposed bark, leaves and tree trunks; the lower 1 inch is partly decomposed organic matter; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
A2--10 to 24 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy clay loam; common medium distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) mottles; weak fine angular blocky structure; 15 percent by volume partly decomposed organic matter; soft, friable, slightly sticky; many fine pores; the lower part consists of 3 inch mineral layers separated by 1/2 inch layers of organic matter; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (9 to 18 inches thick)
2Oa--24 to 65 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) broken faces and rubbed, organic material; about 20 percent fibers, less than 8 percent rubbed; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common medium roots; few medium fragments of charcoal; about 15 percent by volume of logs and stumps; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Camden County, Georgia; 3.3 miles east of Jerusalem, 0.5 mile north of Satilla River, 0.5 mile northwest of barn and 1,000 feet east of dike on the Maryfield Plantation.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The surface mineral horizons range from 21 to 38 inches thick. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid throughout. Soil salinity ranges from none to low.
The Ap or the surface A horizon has hue of 10YR, values of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 to 2. Texture is loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Organic matter content ranges from 20 to 35 percent.
The A1 horizon has hues of 5Y to 10YR, values of 3 to 5, and chroma of 0 to 2. None to common fine or medium brown mottles are throughout the horizon. The A2 horizon has hues of 10YR to 5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. The A1 and A2 horizons are clay loam, silty clay loam, or sandy clay loam. Organic matter content ranges from 5 to 25 percent.
The 2Oa has hues of 10YR to 5YR, values of 2 to 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. The organic material has weak, medium granular or weak medium blocky structure. Stumps, logs and roots range from few to many.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family. Series in similar families are the Chowan and Wysocking series. Chowan soils have less than 15 percent of the control section as coarse or coarser than fine sand. Wysocking soils have 80 to 95 percent silt plus very fine sand and less than 18 percent clay in the 10 to 40 inch control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Satilla soils are on broad, nearly level river flood plains. They are farther inland than the tidal marshes but are still influenced by tides. Tide water of low salinity covers the soils during storm tides. These soils formed in loamy marine and fluvial sediments deposited over organic material. Elevation ranges from 5 to 10 feet above mean sea level. Mean annual precipitation is about 45 to 55 inches and is evenly distributed throughout the year. Mean annual temperature is 65 to 70 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bayboro, Bohicket, Capers and Ellabelle series. All of these soils lack buried organic horizons. In addition, Bayboro, Capers and Ellabelle soils contain more clay in the control section and lack stratified layers of organic material. Bohicket and Capers soils have high salinity and Bohicket soils are continuously saturated with sea water.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Satilla soils are very poorly drained. Runoff is very slow, and permeability is moderately rapid. The water table is at depths of 0 to 1.5 feet in undiked areas. In diked areas it is at a depth of 0 to 1.5 feet in late winter and early spring but recedes to about 1.5 to 3.0 feet in summer and fall.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the soil was diked and used for rice culture before 1900. It is now used mainly for growing vegetables and pasture grasses. Natural vegetation consists of giant cutgrass, big cordgrass, maidencane, rush and cattails in the diked areas. Natural vegetation in undiked areas consists of water tupelo, water oak, blackgum and southern baldcypress.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The lower Coastal Plain of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina along fresh water streams influenced by tidal action. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Camden County, Georgia, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon recognized in this pedon is:
Thapto-Histic epipedon (buried histic epipedon) - the zone from approximately 24 to 65 inches (2Oa horizon).
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation GA0067 SATILLA 0- 1 65- 70 240-285 45- 55 5- 25SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness GA0067 NONE COMMON 0-1.5 APPARENT NOV-MAY 60-60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- GA0067 0- 5 L SIL 0- 0 95-100 18-25 - GA0067 0- 5 SICL CL 0- 0 95-100 25-35 - GA0067 5-24 CL SICL SCL 0- 0 95-100 18-35 - GA0067 24-65 MUCK - - - -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll GA0067 0- 5 4.5- 5.5 20-35 0- 2 2.0- 6.0 LOW GA0067 0- 5 4.5- 5.5 20-35 0- 2 2.0- 6.0 MODERATE GA0067 5-24 4.5- 5.5 - 0- 2 2.0- 6.0 MODERATE GA0067 24-65 - - - -