LOCATION WACCASASSA FL
Established Series
Rev. JDS:AGH
11/2018
WACCASASSA SERIES
The Waccasassa series consists of poorly drained, moderately slowly permeable shallow soils that formed in loamy marine sediments over limestone. They are on low ridges of coastal lowlands along the Gulf Coast of northern peninsular Florida. Slope is less than 2 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, active, nonacid, thermic Lithic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Waccasassa sandy clay loam in a wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil.)
A--0 to 2 inches: very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy clay loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; slightly sticky; nonplastic; many fine and medium, and common coarse roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bw--2 to 12 inches thick: dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky; slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 18 inches thick)
2R--12 inches; hard limestone bedrock with an irregular surface.
TYPE LOCATION: Levy County, Florida. Approximately 1300 feet west, and 400 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 35, T. 14 S., R. 14 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to limestone ranges from 6 to 20 inches. Soil reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral throughout the solum. Gravel to stone-size limestone fragments may be present throughout the solum.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 3 or less; or value of 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. When mixed to a depth of 7 inches, or to the lithic contact if less than 7 inches, the value, moist, is 4 or 5. Texture is fine sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. A horizons that have texture of fine sand or loamy fine sand are less than 6 inches thick. In some pedons, a thin organic layer is at the surface that is less than 3 inches thick.
The Bw horizon has hue of 2.5Y to 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 6. Texture is fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam. Mottles in shades of gray, brown or yellow are in the Bw horizon in many pedons.
The 2R horizon is hard limestone bedrock with a smooth to irregular surface. Rock outcrops, and solution holes that extend below a depth of 20 inches are in many pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.
Hallandale and
Wekiva soils are similar. Hallandale soils are sandy throughout and hyperthermic. Wekiva soils have a sandy epipedon that is 7 to 19 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTINGS: Waccasassa soils are on low hammocks in northwestern peninsular Florida. Slopes are less than 2 percent. They formed in thin loamy marine sediments over limestone. The mean annual temperature is about 65 to 72 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 50 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Hallandale and
Wekiva series, and the
Bluff,
Demory, and
Matmon series. Bluff soils have a mollic epipedon, are very poorly drained, do not have limestone bedrock within a depth of 40 inches and are hyperthermic. Demory soils have a mollic epipedon. Matmon soils are somewhat poorly drained. Bluff and Hallandale soils are hyperthermic but are associated because they are in the temperature boundary zone.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Waccasassa soils are poorly drained. Permeability is moderately slow. The water table is at or near the soil surface for 2 to 6 months during most years and is within solution holes and cavities in the bedrock during the drier months. Waccasassa soils are subject to flooding from adjacent creeks and braided streams.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in their natural vegetation or have been planted to pine. Some small areas are in pasture. Natural vegetation consists dominantly of laurel oak, water oak, sweetgum, southern redcedar, slash pine, loblolly pine, blackgum, and red maple in the overstory, and cabbage palm, longleaf uniola, greenbriar, cutgrass, yaupon, poison ivy, bluestems, low panicums, and a variety of other sedges and annual forbs in the understory.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Levy County, Florida, 1991.
REMARKS: High chroma matrix colors, and the lack of gray mottles are common in the Bw horizon of these soils. Observations of soil wetness and high water tables indicate, however, that these soils are too wet to be classified as Ochrepts.
Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to a depth of 2 inches. Cambic horizon: The zone extending from 2 to 12 inches.
Lithic contact: The limestone bedrock at 12 inches.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.