LOCATION BERTHA                  AK

Established Series
IRD. TDM/NDP/SCD
02/2022

BERTHA SERIES

Landscape--river valley
Landform--high flood plains
Slope--0 to 15 percent
Parent material--alluvium
Mean annual precipitation--about 1420 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 5 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--udic
Soil temperature regime--cryic
Soil moisture subclass--typic

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed Typic Cryofluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Bertha coarse sand on a high flood plain, on a slope of 1 percent at sea level (When described on September 25, 2013, the soil was moist throughout.)

Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary

C1--3 to 13 cm; coarse sand, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent medium gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary

C2--13 to 22 cm; variegated extremely gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 70 percent medium gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary

C3--22 to 150 cm; variegated coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent medium gravel; neutral (pH 6.9)

TYPE LOCATION: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve-Gustavus Area, Alaska; Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska; latitude 58.4025826, longitude -136.5900288, datum WGS84 (coordinates determined by a GPS unit)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--1 to 7 degrees C
Soil moisture control section--dry less than 45 consecutive days in June through October (udic)

Particle-size control section
*Clay content--1 percent
*Sand content--85 to 97 percent
*Total rock fragment content--less than 35 percent

Oi horizon
Thickness--0 to 3 cm

C1 horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or variegated moist or dry
Value--4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma--3 to 6 moist or dry
Fine-earth texture--sand, coarse sand, loamy sand
Clay content--1 to 2 percent
Sand content--88 to 95 percent
Gravel content--0 to 10 percent
Reaction (pH)--5.9 to 6.8
Thickness--3 to 20 cm

C2 horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or variegated moist or dry
Value--4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma--3 to 6 moist or dry
Fine-earth texture--sand, coarse sand, loamy sand
Clay content--1 to 2 percent
Sand content--85 to 95 percent
Gravel content--10 to 70 percent
Reaction (pH)--6.0 to 6.8
Thickness--9 to 18 cm

C3 horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or variegated moist or dry
Value--4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma--3 to 6 moist or dry
Fine-earth texture--sand, coarse sand, loamy sand
Clay content--1 to 2 percent
Sand content--85 to 97 percent
Gravel content--0 to 15 percent
Reaction (pH)--6.0 to 7.0
Thickness--114 to 130 cm

COMPETING SERIES:
Sankluna--composite texture of sand or loamy sand that consists of stratified sand, fine sandy loam, and silt loam; no rock fragments in particle-size control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--0 to 50 m
Climate--cool, moist summers; mild, wet winters
Mean annual precipitation--850 to 1850 mm
Mean annual air temperature--1 to 9 degrees C
Frost-free period--90 to 154 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bulky--aquic conditions within 25 cm (poorly drained) of soil surface; on adjacent landforms
Icy--free carbonates throughout particle-size control section; aquic conditions at or near the soil surface; on adjacent landforms
Muirpoint--free carbonates throughout; on adjacent landforms
Puffin--free carbonates throughout particle-size control section; on similar landforms

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Flooding--occasional, brief periods
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--very high throughout

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--wildlife habitat, recreation
Potential natural vegetation--Sitka alder, bride's feathers, balsam poplar, fragrant bedstraw, common cowparsnip, devilsclub, salmonberry, Sitka willow, beach strawberry

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

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve-Gustavus Area, Alaska; 2020.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features in this pedon
*Ochric epipedon
*Particle-size control section--zone from 28 to 103 cm

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.