LOCATION WACAHOOTA               FL

Established Series
Rev. JFB; GRB
11/2018

WACAHOOTA SERIES


The Wacahoota series consists of very deep, poorly drained, moderately permeable soils on side slopes of uplands on the Coastal Plain. They formed in sandy and loamy marine sediments. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 72 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 59 inches. Slopes range from 5 to 20 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, active, hyperthermic Arenic Paleaquults

TYPICAL PEDON: Wacahoota loamy sand - pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loamy sand; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; about 5 percent, by volume, pebbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

E--5 to 29 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) gravelly loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; friable; few fine roots; about 18 percent, by volume, weathered phosphatic limestone pebbles; moderately acid; clear, wavy boundary. (16 to 32 inches thick)

Btg1--29 to 38 inches; gray (N 5/ ) gravelly sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common faint clay films on faces of peds; about 23 percent, by volume, pebbles; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Btg2--38 to 61 inches; gray (N 5/ ) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; about 14 percent, by volume, pebbles; few fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) masses of iron accumulations and light gray (10YR 7/1) areas of iron depletions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizons range from 22 to 37 inches thick)

BCg--61 to 80 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; about 11 percent, by volume, rock fragments ranging from 2 to 76 mm in size; few fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulations and greenish gray (5GY 5/1) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Marion County, Florida. Approximately 0.75 mile west of intersection of Interstate Highway 75 and State Highway 320, and about 300 feet south of State Highway 320. NW 1/4, NW 1/4, Sec. 14, T. 125 S., R. 20 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. In the solum, the content of weathered pebbles ranges from 5 to 25 percent, by volume. There are a few cobbles in some pedons. The content of ironstone pebbles, 2 to 20 mm in size, ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout except where the surface has been limed.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value 3 to 5, chroma 2 or less; or it is neutral with value of 3 to 5. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or their gravelly analogs.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value 5 to 7, chroma 2 or less; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or their gravelly analogs.

The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 or less; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Iron accumulations in shades of yellow, brown, or red range from none to many. Content of plinthite ranges from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Texture is sandy clay loam or gravelly sandy clay loam. In some pedons, some parts of the Btg horizon may contain as much as 37 percent clay, but the weighted average clay content of the upper 20 inches of the B2tg horizon falls within the range for a loamy family.

The BCg horizon has the same range of colors as the Btg horizon. Texture is sandy clay loam or gravelly sandy clay loam.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wahacoota soils are on upland side slopes in the Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 5 to 20 percent. They formed in thick beds of sandy and loamy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 54 to 64 inches and the average annual air temperature ranges from about 71 to 73 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blichton, Boardman, Fellowship, Flemington, Kanapaha, Lochloosa, and Sparr series. All of these soils are on similar to slightly lower positions. The very poorly drained Blichton soils have more than 5 percent plinthite in the subsoil and contain less that 5 percent gravel throughout. Boardman soils have sandy surface and subsurface layers less than 20 inches in thickness. Fellowship and Flemington soils have sandy surface and subsurface layers less than 20 inches in thickness and have clayey smectitic control sections. Kanapaha soils have sandy surface and subsurface layers 40 to 80 inches in thickness. The somewhat poorly drained Lochloosa and Sparr have less than 5 percent, by volume, pebbles throughout the profile.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Wacahoota soils are in forest. A small acreage is used for improved pasture. Where water control is established, a few small areas are used for growing oranges, grapefruit, watermelons, and tomatoes. Native vegetation consists of slash pine, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, water oak, hickory, and sweetgum, with an understory of wax myrtle, briars, and other native grasses and shrubs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida, primarily on the Ocala uplift. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marion County, Florida; 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon the zone from 0 to 29 inches (Ap and E horizons).

Argillic horizon the zone from 29 to 80 inches (Btg1, Btg1, BCg horizons).

Arenic feature - beginning at a depth of 29 inches.

These soils are saturated at depths of less than 10 inches for periods ranging from 1 to 4 months due to hillside seepage.

These soils were formerly classified in the Low-Humic Gley great soil group. Formerly, they were a part of the Blichton series.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.