Florida State Soil

Myakka fine sand

(hyperthermic Aeric Haplaquods)

Adopted in 1989

In 1989 the legislature designated Myakka fine sand as the official state soil. Myakka soil, which is unique to Florida, occurs in more than 1.5 million acres of flatwoods, making it the single most extensive soil in the state. Soil conservation is very important in Florida, where agriculture is a significant industry.

2000 Florida Statutes, Chapter 15
15.047 Official state soil.--Myakka fine sand (sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Aeric Haplaquods) is hereby designated and declared as the official Florida state soil.
History.--s. 1, ch. 89-16.

The Myakka series consists of deep and very deep, poorly to very poorly drained soils formed in sandy marine deposits. These soils are on flatwoods, high tidal areas, flood plains, depressions, and gently sloping to sloping barrier islands. They have rapid permeability in the A horizon and moderate or moderately rapid permeability in the Bh horizon. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Aeric Alaquods

TYPICAL PEDON: Myakka sand--range. (Colors are for moist soil.)

A--0 to 6 inches; black (10YR 2/1) crushed, sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; matted with many fine and medium roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

E--6 to 20 inches; white (10YR 8/2) sand; common fine faint vertical dark grayish brown, dark gray, and gray streaks along root channels; single grained; loose; common fine and medium roots; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 25 inches thick)

Bh1--20 to 24 inches; black (N 2/0) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; many fine and medium roots; sand grained coated with organic matter except for common fine pockets of uncoated sand grains; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 13 inches thick)

Bh2--24 to 32 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) sand; common coarse faint vertical tongues of very dark brown (10YR 2/2) weak coarse subangular blocky structure; many fine and medium roots; sand grains coated with organic matter; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 23 inches thick)

Bh3--32 to 36 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; sand grains coated with organic matter; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)

C/B--36 to 56 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) sand (C); weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; common medium distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) Bh bodies; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 36 inches thick)

C--56 to 85 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; single grained; loose; few fine roots; strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Florida; about 0.5 mile east of State Highway 448A and 100 feet south of Zellwood Road in NW1/4SE1/4, sec. 24 T. 20 S., R. 26 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 30 inches. Reaction commonly ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid. In tidal, limestone substratum, and shelly substratum phases reaction ranges up to moderately alkaline.

Crushed color of the A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1; or is neutral (N) with value of 2 to 4. Uncrushed colors have a salt-and-pepper appearance. Texture is sand, fine sand, mucky sand, or mucky fine sand. Some pedons have a layer of muck less than 3 inches thick on the surface.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2; or hue of 2.5Y, value of 8, and chroma of 2; or it is neutral (N) with value of 6 to 8. In some pedons, this horizon has gray, yellow, and brown mottles. A transition layer from the E to the Bh horizon, 1/2 inch to 2 inches thick, is in many pedons. Texture is sand or fine sand. Thickness of the A and E horizons ranges from 20 to 30 inches.

The Bh horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3; or hue of 5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 4; or it is neutral (N) with value of 2 or 3. Medium to coarse vertical or horizontal tongues or pockets of gray, light brownish gray, or light gray sand range from none to common in the Bh horizon. Texture is sand, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, or fine sand.

The C part of the C/B horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4; or hue of 10YR, value of 6, and chroma of 3. The B part has the colors described for the Bh horizon. Some pedons have a BC horizon. Some pedons have E' and B'h horizons below the Bh horizon. Colors are similar to the E and Bh horizons.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 4; or hue of 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4. Some pedons have mottles of brown, yellow, or gray. Texture is sand or fine sand. Shelly and limestone substratum phases are recognized.

COMPETING SERIES: This is Smyrna series in the same family and Immokalee, Ona, and St. Johns series in similar families. Smyrna soils have A and E horizons less than 20 inches thick. Immokalee soils have an A and E horizon more than 30 inches thick. Ona soils lack an E horizon. St. Johns soils have a very dark gray or black A horizon more than 8 inches thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Myakka soils occur on nearly level high tidal, flatwoods, flood plains, and depressional areas and gently sloping to sloping barrier islands with gradients of 0 to 8 percent. The soil formed in sandy marine deposits. Rainfall averages about 50 to 60 inches annually with mean annual air temperature of about 70 to 74 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Immokalee, Ona, Smyrna, and St. Johns series, and Basinger, Bradenton, Felda, Pompano, and Tavares series. The latter soils do not have a Bh horizon. In addition, Tavares soils are moderately well drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Myakka soils are poorly to very poorly drained. They have slow internal drainage and slow to ponded runoff. Permeability is rapid in the A and E horizons and moderate or moderately rapid in the Bh horizon. The water table is at depths of less than 18 inches for 1 to 4 months duration in most years and recedes to depths of more than 40 inches during very dry seasons. Depressional areas are covered with standing water for periods of 6 to 9 months or more in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for commercial forest production or native range. Large areas with adequate water control measures are used for citrus, improved pasture, and truck crops. Native vegetation includes longleaf and slash pines with an undergrowth of sawpalmetto, running oak, inkberry, waxmyrtle, huckleberry, chalky bluestem, pineland threeawn, and scattered fetterbush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The series is of large extent and is important in the area of occurrence.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Florida; 1970.

REMARKS: Myakka soils were formerly classified in the Leon series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 20 inches (A and E horizons).

Albic horizon--the zone between depths of 6 to 20 inches (E horizon).

Spodic horizon--the zone between depths of 20 to 36 inches (Bh1, Bh2, and Bh3 horizons).