LOCATION BRADWAY                 AK

Established Series
Rev. SR-JPM
02/2022

BRADWAY SERIES

The Bradway series consists of poorly drained soils formed in micaceous alluvium. Bradway soils are on nearly level alluvial plains, outwash plains, and floodplains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 12 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS:

TYPICAL PEDON: Bradway very fine sandy loam - on a 2 percent slope under forest (burned over) vegetation. (All colors are for moist soil, water table at 18 inches on 8/30/59)

Oi--0 to 4 inches; black (5YR 2/1) mat of roots, slightly decomposed organic materials and charcoal; slight admixture of silt; moderately acid. (2 to 5 inches thick)

A--4 to 6 inches; black (5YR 2/1) mucky silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Cg--6 to 40 inches; dark gray (N 4/ ) very fine sandy loam; weak thin platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many large prominent mottles of dark brown; thin lenses of silt loam and fine sand, mostly below 24 inches; few roots; mildly alkaline. (23 to 37 inches thick)

Cf--40 to 60 inches; permafrost (frozen at 36 inches on 8/30/59).

TYPE LOCATION: Fairbanks Area, Alaska; SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section 23, T.1S., R.1E., Fairbanks Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the organic mat ranges from 1 to 7 inches. Depth to the permafrost ranges from 10 to 40 inches below the soil surface two months after the summer solstice. Texture of the control section is dominantly silt loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. The weighted average particle size has less than 18 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Reaction throughout the profile increases with depth, ranging from strongly acid to moderately alkaline.

The A horizon has hue from 5YR to 2.5Y; value moist of 2 to 4; and chroma moist from 1 to 3. Texture is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam often with a mucky modifier.

The C or Cg horizon (where present) has hue of N, 5GY,5Y, or 2.5Y; value moist from 2 to 5; and chroma moist from 0 to 5. Texture is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Tanana and Tetlin series. Tanana soils have thin stratas of fine sandy loam and fine sand in the control section. Tetlin soils are on bedrock cored hills and are assumed to have residuum or bedrock within the permafrost in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bradway soils formed in a thin organic mat over micaceous alluvial sediments. Bradway soils are on nearly level alluvial plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The climate is subarctic continental with long, cold winters and short, warm summers.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Chena, Goldstream, Jarvis, and Salchaket soils. Chena soils are excessively drained and lack permafrost. Goldstream soils have thick organic mats. Jarvis and Salchaket soils are well drained, stratified, and lack permafrost. All of these soils are on similar landforms.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is slow to ponded. Permeability is moderate above the permafrost. Free water is perched above the permafrost. Altered drainage occurs where the insulating organic layer is destroyed by fire or mechanical clearing. Loss of the organic mat results in lowering of the permafrost level with subsequent lowering of the water table.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly in native vegetation of sedges, grasses, low growing shrubs, and black spruce. A few areas have been cleared and drained, and seeded to grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 231 Interior Alaska Highlands. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fairbanks Area, Alaska, 1961.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile include: Permafrost at 36 inches with saturated conditions above; weighted average particle-size of coarse-loamy from 10 to 36 inches; pH greater than 5.5 (1:1,H20) from 0 to 36 inches.

Any impact to the organic mat such as burning or clearing will alter the thermal regime of the soil. In such cases the permafrost and the water table may drop below the series control section.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.