atlas maps. Although the information appears to be fairly accurate and 

 detailed at the 1:100,000 scale, it is still generalized, and the 1:20,000 

 scale maps within the soil survey should be consulted for detailed informa- 

 tion. 



The soil surveys of Mobile and Baldwin Counties were classified 18 years 

 apart (field work done in 1978 and 1960, respectively) by different soil 

 scientists using different classification schemes. While this is not an 

 unusual situation, the result is that the soil association methodologies used 

 in the two counties are almost mutually exclusive. The soil names used in 

 the 1960 Baldwin County survey have been translated into more modern nomencla- 

 ture for inclusion in this atlas (G. L. Hickman, Soil Conservation Service, 

 Grove Hill, 10 May 1982; pers. comm.). 



Baldwin is the largest county in Alabama, with a surface area of 4,178 

 km 2 (1,613 mi 2 , 1,032,320 acres, 418,090 ha), while Mobile County covers 

 3,212 km 2 (1,240 mi 2 , 793,472 acres, 321,356 ha). Elevations range from sea 

 level to about 104 m (340 ft) in Mobile County and about 91 m (300 ft) in 

 Baldwin County. Both counties lie within the Lower Coastal Plain of the Gulf 

 Coastal Plain physiographic province. Offshore, the coastal waters belong to 

 the Mississippi -Alabama Shelf Section of the Continental Shelf physiographic 

 province. 



The Lower Coastal Plain province is subdivided within the study area into 

 the Southern Pine Hills and the Coastal Lowlands. The lowlands include both 

 the alluvial and deltaic plains. The Coastal Lowland zone is a flat to 

 gently undulating plain along the Alabama coast which is continuous with the 

 alluvial and deltaic plains of the Mobile River delta. The lowlands range in 

 width from 16 km (10 mi) in the Mobile Delta to only 60 m (200 ft) along the 

 eastern edge of Mobile Bay, and are generally 3 to 8 km (2 to 5 mi) in width 

 along the Gulf of Mexico. The transition from Coastal Lowlands to Southern 

 Pine Hills may be quite gradual, or fairly abrupt, in the form of bluffs 

 (Alabama Coastal Area Board 1978). Bordering the Mobile Delta, the alluvial 

 and deltaic plains and adjacent terraces are mainly silt and clay sediments 

 relocated from upstream in Recent or Pleistocene times. Elevation here 

 ranges from nearly sea level to only about 7 m (20 ft), making the area 

 vulnerable to frequent flooding and saltwater intrusion, particularly during 

 extreme tides or storms. Predominant soil associations of the alluvial- 

 deltaic plain include Axis-Lafitte (6), Dorovan-Levy-Iuka-Urbo (1), Dorovan- 

 Johnston-Levy (12), Annemaine-Wahee-Leaf (2), and Izagora-Bethera-Suffol k 

 (13). 



The Axis-Lafitte association (6) is level, very poorly drained marshland. 

 The Axis soils are loamy mineral soils of tidal flats. They are gray to 

 brown mucky sandy clay loam overlying gray sandy loam with mottles or streaks 

 of yellow or brown. The land is covered with dense stands of marsh cane, 

 marsh grass, and rushes. Lafitte soils comprise mostly black to brown mucky 

 organic material and are found at the mouths of streams and rivers. These 

 areas are mostly wetland wildlife habitat and undeveloped. 



The Dorovan-Levy-Iuka-Urbo association (1) of Baldwin County and the 

 Dorovan-Johnston-Levy association (12) of Mobile County are the soils of the 



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