LOCATION ASHMUN                  AK

Established Series
Rev. JWM/NDP/SCD
02/2022

ASHMUN SERIES

Landscape--mountain valleys
Landform--flood plains, outwash plains
Slope--0 to 5 percent
Parent material--loess over alluvium
Mean annual precipitation--about 3600 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 4 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--very poorly drained
Soil moisture regime--aquic
Soil temperature regime--cryic
Soil moisture subclass--typic

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed Typic Cryaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Ashmun silt loam under forest vegetation, on a nearly level flood plain at an elevation of 12 m (When described on June 3, 1982, the soil was moist from the surface to a depth of 38 cm and wet below that depth.)

Oi--0 to 5 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary

A--5 to 8 cm; silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary

2Cg1--8 to 23 cm; loamy fine sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 5 percent medium distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) redoximorphic concentrations; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary

2Cg2--23 to 58 cm; sand, gray (7.5YR 5/1) dry, very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 1 percent fine faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) redoximorphic concentrations; common fine and medium roots; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary

2Cg3--58 to 150 cm; sand, gray (7.5YR 5/1) dry, very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots decreasing to few fine roots as depth increases; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4)

TYPE LOCATION: Haines Borough Census Area, Alaska; in the SE1/4NW 1/4 of section 31 T. 30 S., R. 59 E., Copper River Meridian (coordinates estimated from PLSS details)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--1 to 7 degrees C
Soil moisture control section--normally saturated at or near the soil surface year round
Depth to redoximorphic iron concentrations--8 to 150 cm

Particle-size control section
*Clay content--0 to 5 percent
*Total rock fragment content--0 to 25 percent

Oi horizon
Thickness--3 to 8 cm

A horizon
Hue--7.5YR to 2.5Y moist or dry
Value--2 to 5 moist, 4 to 7 dry
Chroma--1 to 4 moist or dry
Fine-earth texture--silt loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content--0 to 5 percent
Sand content--25 to 45 percent
Total rock fragment content--0 to 10 percent
Gravel content--0 to 10 percent
Cobble content--0 to 5 percent
Reaction (pH)--6.1 to 7.8
Thickness--0 to 8 cm

2Cg1, 2Cg2, and 2Cg3 horizons
Hue--10YR to 5Y moist or dry
Value--3 to 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma--1 to 3 moist or dry
Fine-earth texture--sand, loamy fine sand
Clay content--0 to 5 percent
Sand content--70 to 95 percent
Total rock fragment content--0 to 25 percent
Gravel content--0 to 25 percent
Cobble content--0 to 5 percent
Reaction (pH)--6.6 to 8.4
Effervescence--noneffervescent to strongly effervescent
Thickness--0 to 150 cm

COMPETING SERIES:
Abyss--aquic conditions below a depth of 30 to 150 cm (somewhat poorly drained); occasional flooding
Chilkoot--pH of 5.1 to 6.5 in control section
Monashka, Perouse--no lithologic discontinuity
Topsy--no flooding; aquic conditions within 25 cm of soil surface (poorly drained)

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--0 to 305 m
Climate--cool, moist summers; mild, wet winters
Mean annual precipitation--530 to 6360 mm
Mean annual air temperature--0 to 8 degrees C
Frost-free period--90 to 150 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Hollow--aquic conditions below a depth of 25 to 50 cm (somewhat poorly drained); on similar landforms
Lutak--spodic horizon; on adjacent alluvial terraces and moraines
Skagway--aquic conditions below a depth of 25 to 50 cm (somewhat poorly drained); on similar landforms
Tsirku--aquic conditions below a depth of 25 to 50 cm (somewhat poorly drained); on similar landforms

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--very poorly drained
Depth to saturation in normal years--8 to 150 cm
Flooding--frequent, long periods in some areas
Ponding--frequent, very long periods in some areas
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--moderately high or high in A horizon, high or very high in 2Cg horizon

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--wildlife habitat, recreation, subsistence
Potential native vegetation--cottonwood, Sitka alder, devilsclub, mosses

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alexander Archipelago-Gulf of Alaska Coast, Alaska; MLRA 220; moderate extent

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Haines Area, Alaska; 1985

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon
*Ochric epipedon
*Aquic conditions--zone from 8 to 150 cm
*Reduced matrix--zone from 8 to 150 cm
*Free carbonates--zone from 23 to 150 cm
*Lithologic discontinuity--zone from 8 to 150 cm
*Particle-size control section--zone from 30 to 105 cm

5/2020--A frequently ponded phase is mapped in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The Ashmun series includes the concepts of the former Stave series that was poorly defined. This official series description was updated according to SSR01 Technical Note-Content and Format of Official Series Descriptions (revised 12/2015). Most of the changes were in formatting, but the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve area was included.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.