Some Facts about The State Soil of Florida - Myakka Fine Sand

On May 22, 1989, Governor Bob Martinez signed Senate bill number 524 into law, naming Myakka fine sand the Official State Soil of Florida. The Florida Association of Professional Soil Classifiers (now the Florida Association of Environmental Soil Scientists), and the Florida Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society worked together in the establishment of a state soil for the State of Florida.

Myakka is a Spodosol, and is classified in Soil Taxonomy as sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Aeric Alaquods. Spodosols are sandy soils with an organic-stained subsoil layer (spodic horizon) and occur on flatwood landforms on the Southern Coastal Plain.

Although Spodosols are extensive in the southeastern states, the Myakka soil series occurs only in the State of Florida. Myakka is an Aquod (the wet, sandy Spodosols). The State of Florida has the largest total acreage of Aquods in the nation.

The Myakka soils, along with the other Spodosols, are probably the most frequently photographed soils in Florida. If you have a soils photo you would like to display on this home page, please send any pictures or slides along with any description as to where the picture was taken, to Dr. Mary E. Collins. The pictures or slides will be immediately returned.