LOCATION BONECREEK               AK

Established Series
SDB/MJS
08/2025

BONECREEK SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: eolian sands over sandy and gravelly alluvium
Landscape: river valleys
Landform: terraces
Slopes: 0 to 6 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 600 mm (24 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -3 degrees C. (27 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 36 to 71 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Bonecreek very fine sandy loam in an aspen and lingonberry dominated community on a river terrace step, on a 4 percent slope at an elevation of 664 m (2180 ft).

Oe--0 to 4 cm (0 to 2 in); moderately decomposed plant material, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) rubbed moist; nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 cm, 1 to 4 in)

A--4 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in); very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) broken face dry, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) broken face moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine and medium roots in the top of horizon; 10 percent subrounded cobbles by volume; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm, 0 to 4 in)

Bw--10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in); cobbly very fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) broken face dry, brown (10YR 4/3) broken face moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common fine and medium roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent subrounded gravels, 20 percent rounded cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 28 cm, 6 to 11 in)

C--30 to 150 cm (12 to 59 in); very cobbly sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) crushed dry, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) crushed moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine roots top of horizon; 20 percent subrounded gravels, 30 percent rounded cobbles by volume; neutral (pH 6.7). (100 to 133 cm, 39 to 52 in)

TYPE LOCATION: North Copper River Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 63.0777410, longitude - 143.4469130, UTM 6824885.83 north and UTM 602445.08 east, zone 7, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: udic
Soil temperature regime: frigid
Mean annual soil temperature: to -4 degrees -2 C. (25 to 28 degrees F)
Thickness of organic material: 2 to 10 cm (1 to 4 in)
Thickness of epipedon: 2 to 20 cm (1 to 8 in)
Thickness of cambic horizon: 15 to 28 cm (6 to 11 in)

Oi and Oe horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: slightly decomposed organic material to moderately decomposed organic material
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)

A horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: very fine sandy loam cobbly sandy loam, silt loam
Sand: 55 to 70 percent
Silt: 13 to 34 percent
Clay: 5 to 17 percent
Rock fragments: 6 to 16 percent
Cobbles: 6 to 16 percent
Organic matter: 4 to 13 percent
Reaction class: neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)

Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 4
Texture: cobbly or gravelly very fine sandy loam
Sand: 55 to 70 percent
Silt: 13 to 36 percent
Clay: 5 to 17 percent
Rock fragments: 16 to 34 percent
Gravels: 9 to 13 percent
Cobbles: 7 to 21 percent
Organic matter: 0.4 to 1.5 percent
Reaction class: slightly acid (pH 6.1 to 6.5)

C horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: very cobbly sand, extremely gravelly sand
Sand: 87 to 95 percent
Silt: 0 to 12 percent
Clay: 1 to 7 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 81 percent
Gravels: 20 to 36 percent
Cobbles: 15 to 46 percent
Organic matter: 0 to 0.4 percent
Reaction class: neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Geikie (AK), Lupine (AK), Maclaren (AK), and Sawmillcreek soils.
Geikie soils have a lithologic discontinuity between 35 and 105 cm (14 and 41 in), are strongly alkaline in the 2C material, and occur in outwash plains at elevations of 850m to 1850m (2790 to 6070 ft).
Lupine soils lack coarse fragments in their A and Bw horizons and have a lower pH in the Oi and A horizons.
Maklaren soils are extremely cobbly at depth and have clearly stratified parent material
Sawmillcreek soils are extremely gravely and have free carbonates in the C horizons

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 400 to 1000 meters (1310 to 3280 feet)
Parent material: eolian sands over sandy and gravelly alluvium
Landform: terraces
Slopes: 0 to 6 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 400 to 800 mm (16 to 31 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -4 to -2 degrees C. (25 to 28 degrees F)
Frost free period: 36 to 71 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ironcreek, Shand, and Slimecreek soils.
Ironcreek soils lack a cambic horizon and occur in river valleys and flood plains.
Shand soils are very poorly drained, has a histic epipedon, and occur on flood plains.
Slimecreek soils are somewhat poorly drained, aquic conditions, and occur on hillslopes and drainageways.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Very high in the O horizon, high in the A and B horizons, and very high in the C horizon.
Permeability: Very rapid throughout
Runoff: Very low

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: Quaking aspen, lingonberry, feathermoss

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 228 Interior Alaska mountains.
Extent: moderate

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska

SERIES ESTABLISHED: North Copper River Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:

Particle-size control section: 29 to 104 cm (11 to 41 in)

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in) (O and A horizon)

Cambic horizon: 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in) (Bw horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2023AK261837

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.