LOCATION CHELINA                 AK

Established Series
Rev. MHC/JPM/DLM
02/2022

CHELINA SERIES

The Chelina series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in a thin silty loess mantle overlying lacustrine nearshore deposits. Chelina soils are on lacustrine terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. and the average
annual precipitation is about 16 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Chelina silt loam on an 8 percent slope under white spruce forest at 2550 feet elevation. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oe--1 inch to 0; mucky peat; partially decomposed moss and forest litter; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)

A--0 to 1 inch; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots of all sizes; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)

2Bw--1 to 5 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) gravelly loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, sticky and plastic; 15 percent gravel; common very fine and fine roots: moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear irregular boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

2C1--5 to 9 inches (13 to 23 centimeters); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sandy clay loam; strong medium platy structure; friable, sticky and plastic; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 18 inches thick)

2C2--9 to 53 inches (23 to 135 centimeters); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky and plastic; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 45 inches thick)

2C3--53 to 60 inches (135 to 152 centimeters); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sandy clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Gulkana River Area, Alaska; about 14 miles west of Sourdough; the NW1/4 of the NW1/4 of section 14, T.11N., R.2W., Copper River Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 32 to 35 degrees F. Thickness of the organic mat ranges from 1 to 5 inches. Thickness of the silty loess mantle is 1 to 2 inches. Texture of the control section is loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam with greater than 18 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Coarse fragment content throughout the profile ranges from 0 to 30 percent subangular pebbles and cobbles. Reaction in the solum is moderately or slightly acid and slightly acid to mildly alkaline in the substratum.

The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value moist of 2 or 3; and chroma moist of 1 through 3. Color striations are common in this horizon. Texture is silt loam or silt. The rock fragment content is less than 5 percent
gravel and cobble. Reaction is moderately or slightly acid.

The 2Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; value moist of 3 or 4; and chroma moist of 4 or 6. Texture is silt loam, loam, sandy loam or clay loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 20 percent with 0 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobble. Reaction is moderately or slightly acid.

The 2C horizons have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; value moist of 4 or 5; and chroma moist of 1 or 2. Texture is loam, clay loam, sandy loam or silty clay loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 30 percent with 5 to 30 percent
gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobble. Reaction is slightly acid to mildly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chetaslina, Nimerick, and Ripple series. Chetaslina soils have a loess mantle that is 2 to 13 inches thick. Nimerick and Ripple soils have a mean annual soil temperature greater than 35 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chelina soils formed in a thin mantle of silty loess overlying lacustrine nearshore deposits. These soils are on lacustrine terraces and hills.

The climate is subarctic continental with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 18 inches and the mean annual temperature ranges from 23 to 27 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is very slow to medium. Permeability is moderate. With plant succession and thickening of the organic mat, the soil temperature will lower, permafrost table will rise, and the soil will become impermeable.

USE AND VEGETATION: Chelina soils support native vegetation of white spruce forest. The successional state of the vegetation in a given area is closely related to the fire history. The soil is used primarily for recreation and wildlife habitat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Copper River Basin, Alaska. The series is extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gulkana River Area, Alaska. 1999

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include: a cambic horizon from 1 to 5 inches; a cryic temperature regime; fine-loamy particle size
from 10 to 40 inches. Formerly classified as a Typic Cryochrept.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.