Albany Series

The Albany series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately permeable and moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in sandy and loamy marine sediments. These soils are in flat areas that are depressed relative to the surrounding upland landforms and on rises and knolls in the coastal lowlands. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. These soils are loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Grossarenic Paleudults.

Albany soils are geographically associated with Blanton, Bonifay, Chipley, Foxworth, Garcon, Hurricane, Leefield, Plummer, and Stilson soils. Blanton and Foxworth soils are moderately well drained. Bonifay soils are well drained. Chipley soils do not have an argillic horizon. Garcon, Leefield, and Stilson soils have an argillic horizon at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Also, Garcon soils are sandy within a depth of 60 inches. Hurricane soils have an organic-stained subsoil below a depth of 50 inches. Plummer soils are poorly drained.

Typical pedon of Albany loamy sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes; about 300 feet west of Highway 71; about 1,900 feet west and 3,750 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 24, T. 1 S., R. 9 W.

• Ap—0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy sand; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
• E1—8 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand; few medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) splotches of uncoated sand; single grained; loose; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
• E2—14 to 29 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loamy sand; common medium faint light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; single grained; loose; strongly acid; diffuse wavy boundary.
• E3—29 to 46 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand; many medium and coarse faint white (10YR 8/2) iron depletions; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and few fine prominent yellow (10YR 7/8) masses of iron accumulations; single grained; loose; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
• BE—46 to 61 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand; common fine distinct white (10YR 8/1) iron depletions; many fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and yellow (10YR 7/8) and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
• Btg—61 to 80 inches; variegated gray (10YR 6/1), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam; the areas in shades of yellow and red are iron accumulations; the areas in shades of gray are iron depletions; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; sand grains bridged and coated with clay; very strongly acid.

The thickness of the solum ranges from 70 to more than 80 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid in the A or Ap horizon, except where lime has been applied, and from extremely acid to moderately acid in the E, BE, and Bt horizons. Some pedons have up to 5 percent ironstone pebbles in the lower part of the E horizon and in the Bt horizon.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6. It has few to many masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow and red and iron depletions in shades of gray. It has redoximorphic features within a depth of 30 inches. It is sand or loamy sand.

The Eg horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. It has few to many masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow and red and iron depletions in shades of gray. It is sand or loamy sand. The combined thickness of the A and E horizons ranges from 40 inches to less than 80 inches.

The BE horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 4 to 6. It has few to many redoximorphic features in shades of gray, yellow, and red. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.

The Bt horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5YR, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 4 to 8. It has common or many masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow and red and iron depletions in shades of gray. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.

The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral in hue and has value of 4 to 8. It has common or many redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, red, and gray. In some pedons, the Btg horizon does not have a dominant matrix color and is variegated in shades of gray, yellow, and red. The texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.

< Back to Selected Taxonomic Unit Descriptions