LOCATION CHENA                   AK

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

CHENA SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: excessively drained
Parent material: loamy and sandy alluvium overlying sand and gravel
Landform: stream terraces and outwash plains
Slope: 0 to 7 percent
Mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches.
Mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Typic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Chena very fine sandy loam - on a level plain at 545 feet elevation under paper birch and white spruce forest. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oi--0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 cm); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) slightly decomposed plant material; many very fine to coarse roots; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary.

C1--4 to 9 inches (10 to 23 cm); olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) very fine sandy loam; massive; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine to coarse roots; common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary.

2C2--9 to 30 inches (23 to 75 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very gravelly loamy sand; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary.

2C3--30 to 60 inches (75 to 152 cm); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) very gravelly sand; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (7.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Greater Fairbanks Area, Alaska; SE1/4, NW1/4, Section 15, T.#S., R.3E., Fairbanks Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 32 to 34 degrees F
Depth to sand and gravel: 4 to 10 inches
Control section: fine sand to coarse sand modified by 40 to 80 percent rock fragments
Substantial amounts of mica occur throughout the profile.

O horizon:
Reaction class: very strongly acid to moderately acid

A horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y; value of 3 to 5; chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Reaction class: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

C horizon: (where present)
Matrix color: hue of 10YR to 5Y; value of 1 to 5; chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sand, sand, sandy loam, stratified fine sand to silt loam, 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction class: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

2C horizon: hue of 2.5Y or 5Y; value of 3 to 5; and chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: coarse sand or sand with 35 to 80 percent gravel and cobble
Reaction class: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alflack, Canlodore, Castlepeak, Cryomont, Eklutna, Graylock, Nataga, Nizina, Obscurity, Perfecto, Ragamuffin, Sofgran, Stecum, and Studebaker series in the same family. All of these soils except Nataga and Nizina have mean annual soil temperature above 34 degrees F. Alflack, Ragamuffin, and Stecum soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Canlodore soils have E horizons. Castlepeak soils do not have O horizons. Cryomont, Obscurity, and Studebaker soils have volcanic ash, glass, or glass aggregates in the control section. Nataga and Nizina soils do not have substantial mica content in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy and sandy alluvium overlying sand and gravel
Landform: stream terraces and outwash plains
Slope: 0 to 7 percent but is dominantly less than 4 percent
Mean annual temperature: 23 to 35 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 11 to 29 inches

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jarvis, Salchaket, and Tanana soils. Jarvis and Salchaket soils have substantial amount of mica. Tanana soils have permafrost.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained. Slow runoff. Very high and high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly forested; white spruce and paper birch with scattered stands of cottonwood.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 229, Interior Alaska Lowlands. 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: Ochric epipedon: from 0 to 9 inches
Temperature regime: cryic
Weighted average particle size: sandy-skeletal from 10 to 40 inches.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.