LOCATION CHETLAKE                AK

Established Series
Rev. TLP/JBS/DLM
02/2022

CHETLAKE SERIES


Depth class: moderately deep to permafrost
Drainage class: poorly drained
Parent material: loess over glacial till
Landform: hummocks on moraines
Slopes: 0 to 15 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 15 inches
Mean annual temperature: about 26 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS:

TYPICAL PEDON: CHETLAKE loam - on a 7 percent with slope, under birch and willow scrub with fescue and moss understory at 2750 feet elevation. (All colors are for moist soil unless noted)

Oe--0 to 3 inches (0 to 8 cm); black (10YR 2/1) moderately decomposed plant material; common very fine to coarse roots; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)

Bjjg--3 to 20 inches (8 to 51 cm); 50 percent weak red (2.5YR 4/2) loam and 40 percent dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam; weak thin platy structure; friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine to medium roots; five percent gravel and five percent cobbles; common coarse prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear broken boundary. (13 to 24 inches thick)

Abjj--20 to 26 inches (51 to 66 cm); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam; weak thin platy structure; friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear broken boundary; horizon is discontinuous and tongues into overlying horizon. (3 to 13 inches thick)

2BC--26 to 31 inches (66 to 79 cm); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) gravelly loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; common medium prominent olive gray (5Y 5/2) redoximorphic depletions; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)

2Cf--31 to 60 inches (79 to 153 cm); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) permanently frozen very stony loam; massive; extremely firm; slightly sticky and slightly plastic, when thawed; 20 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2)

TYPE LOCATION: About 2 miles northwest of Donnelly Dome; in the NW 1/4 of the SE 1/4, section 17, T. 13S., R. 10E; Mt. Hayes (D-4) 1:63,380 quad; Fairbanks Meridian; UTM north 7074003 and UTM east 556944, zone 6.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Mean annual soil temperature: about 25 degrees F
Thickness of organic materials: 2 to 8 inches
Depth to permafrost: 18 to 35 inches
Depth to glacial till: 18 to 35 inches


O horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 2 or 3; chroma of 1 or 2
Texture: slightly or moderately decomposed plant material
Reaction class: strongly acid to slightly acid

Bjjg horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 2.5YR to 10YR; value of 3 to 5; chroma of 1 to 4
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy loam
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction class: strongly acid to slightly acid

Abjj horizon:
Matrix color: value of 2 or 3; chroma of 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam, or very fine sandy loam
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction class: strongly acid to slightly acid

2BC horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 3 to 5; chroma of 3 to 5
Texture: loam or sandy loam modified by 20 to 55 percent total coarse fragments, 15 to 25 percent gravel, 5 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 15 percent stones
Reaction class: moderately acid or slightly acid

2Cf horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 3 to 5; chroma of 3 to 5
Texture: permanently frozen loam or permanently frozen sandy loam modified by 25 to 55 percent total coarse fragments, 15 to 25 percent gravel, 5 to 15 percent cobbles, and 5 to 15 percent stones
Reaction class: moderately acid or slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Batza, Bradway, Ninchuun, Tanana, and Tetlin series. Batza and Ninchuun soils lack cobbles and stones. Bradway and Tanana soils have substantial mica content and lack coarse fragments in the control section. Tanana soils also contain lenses of fine sand or fine sandy loam. Tetlin series soils formed in micaceous loess on bedrock cored hills and lack coarse fragments in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loess over till
Landform: hummocks on moraines
Slope: 0 to 15 percent
Mean annual temperature: 24 to 28 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 16 inches

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Babel series. Babel series are well drained on similar landforms.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained, very high runoff. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high above the permafrost and very low in the permafrost.

USE AND VEGETATION: The native vegetation includes birch and willow scrub with fescue and moss understory.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 229, Interior Alaska Lowlands, The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fort Greely Soil Survey, Alaska, 2004

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:
Ochric epipedon: from 0 to 3 inches
Cambic horizon: 3 to 20 inches
Gelic material: 3 to 26 inches
Redoximorphic features: 3 to 20 inches
Moisture regime: Aquic
Temperature Regime: Pergelic


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.