United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Southeast Coastal Plain and Caribbean Soil Survey Region #15 Go to Accessibility Information
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Albany Series

The Albany series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in sandy and loamy marine sediments. These soils are in positions that are depressed relative to surrounding landforms on low terraces and on broad ridges and knolls, on toeslopes, and on the lower parts of footslopes. They are in the uplands. The seasonal high water table is at a depth of 1 to 2-1/2 feet from December through April in most years. The areas on low terraces are subject to occasional flooding. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. These soils are loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Grossarenic Paleudults.

Albany soils are geographically associated with Bonifay, Eunola, Lakeland, Pelham, Troup, and Weston soils. The Bonifay, Lakeland, and Troup soils are on summits and shoulder slopes in higher positions than the Albany soils. The well drained Bonifay soils have a significant accumulation of plinthite in the subsoil. The excessively drained Lakeland soils are sandy throughout. The somewhat excessively drained Troup soils have a reddish argillic horizon. The moderately well drained Eunola soils are on stream terraces and do not have a thick, sandy epipedon. The poorly drained Pelham and Weston soils are in lower positions than the Albany soils. The Pelham soils have a loamy argillic horizon at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. The Weston soils do not have a thick, sandy epipedon.

Typical pedon of Albany sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes; about 100 feet north of Langley Avenue and 3,750 feet east of Ninth Avenue in Pensacola; about 3,700 feet east and 100 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 10, T. 1 S., R. 29 W.

  • A—0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common medium and fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
  • E1—7 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sand; single grained; loose; few fine roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
  • E2—22 to 42 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; single grained; loose; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation that have clear boundaries throughout the matrix; common fine faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) iron depletions that have clear boundaries throughout the matrix; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
  • Eg—42 to 57 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sand; single grained; loose; common fine faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions throughout the matrix; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
  • Btg1—57 to 72 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains bridged and coated with clay; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation that have sharp boundaries throughout the matrix; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
  • Btg2—72 to 80 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation that have sharp boundaries throughout the matrix; strongly acid.

The solum is more than 70 inches thick. The sandy epipedon ranges from 40 to 80 inches in thickness. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid in the A and E horizons, except in areas where lime has been applied, and from very strongly acid to moderately acid in the Btg horizon.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 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 or 4. In many pedons, it has thin streaks and pockets of white or light gray uncoated sand. It has few to many redoximorphic depletions in shades of gray or brown and redoximorphic accumulations in shades of red, yellow, and brown. It is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.

The Eg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2. It has few to many redoximorphic accumulations in shades of yellow, olive, brown, and red. It is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.

The Bt horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8. It has common or many redoximorphic depletions in shades of brown and gray and redoximorphic accumulations in shades of red, brown, and yellow. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.

The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it does not have a dominant matrix color and is multicolored in shades of red, yellow, brown and gray. It has common or many redoximorphic accumulations in shades of red, yellow, and brown. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.


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