LOCATION CHULITNA AK

Established Series
Rev. DVP/DLM
02/2022

CHULITNA SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: ash influenced loess over glacial fluvial material
Landform: relic glacial lakes, terraces on till plains, and moraines on till plains
Slopes: 0 to 25 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 27 inches (696 mm)
Mean annual temperature: about 36 degrees F. (2 degrees C.)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal, amorphic over mixed Andic Haplocryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Chulitna silt loam - on a slope of 0 percent under mixed Lutz spruce and paper birch vegetation at 230 feet (70 meters) elevation. (All colors are for moist soil unless noted)

Oe--0 to 2 inches (0 to 6 cm); dark brown (10YR 3/3); moderately decomposed plant material; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; extremely acid (pH 4.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick, 4 to 11 cm)

E--2 to 3 inches (6 to 7 cm); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2); silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick, 2 to 5 cm)

Bhs--3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2); mucky silt loam; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, non-sticky and non plastic; smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick, 2 to 8 cm)

Eb--4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2); silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick, 2 to 4 cm)

Bhsb--5 to 6 inches (13 to 16 cm); dark brown (7.5YR 3/3); mucky silt loam; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; strongly acid (pH 5.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick, 2 to 8 cm)

Bw1--6 to 27 inches (16 to 70 cm); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4); silt loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very smeary; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear smooth boundary.

Bw2--27 to 33 inches (70 to 84 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2); silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; smeary; few fine roots and common medium roots; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 30 to 35 inches thick, 30 to 90 cm)

2C--33 to 60 inches (84 to 152 cm); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2); loamy sand; massive; loose, non-sticky and non-plastic; few fine roots; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5).

TYPE LOCATION: Western Kenai Peninsula Area, Alaska; about 9 miles northeast of Anchor Point; in the NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4, section 7, T. 4 S., R. 14; W 1:25,000 quad; Seward Meridian; UTM east 0569613 and UTM north 6635450, zone 5.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: udic
Mean annual soil temperature: about 38 degrees F
Solum: may be mono-sequel, bi-sequel, or tri-sequel
Thickness of solum: 30 to 40 inches, (75 to 90 cm)
Thickness of ash influenced loess: 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm)
Depth to lithologic discontinuity: 30 to 35 inches (75 to 90 cm)

O horizons:
Matrix color: hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 2 to 4; chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: slightly decomposing plant material, moderately decomposed plant material
Reaction class: extremely acid or very strongly acid

E or Eb horizons:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 4 or 5; chroma of 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam, very fine sandy loam
Reaction class: very strongly acid or strongly acid

Bhs or Bhsb horizons:
Matrix color: hue of 5YR or 7.5YR; value of 2.5 or 3; chroma of 2 or 3
Texture: mucky silt loam, mucky very fine sandy loam
Total organic carbon: 6 to 12 percent
Reaction class: very strongly acid or strongly acid

Bw horizons:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 3 to 4; chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam, very fine sandy loam
Reaction class: very strongly acid or strongly acid

2C horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR to 5Y; value of 2 to 5; chroma of 1 to 4
Texture: loamy sand, sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand modified by 0 to 50 percent total coarse fragments; 0 to 40 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction class: very strongly acid to strongly acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Benka, Kashwitna, Shoestring, and Soldatna series. Benka soils have stratified substratums. Kashwitna and Soldatna soils have loess mantels less than 30 inches thick. Shoestring soils have moderately acid or slightly acid soil reactions in the B and C horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: ash influenced loess over glacial fluvial material
Landform: relic glacial lakes, terraces on till plains, and moraines on till plains
Slope: 0 to 25 percent
Mean annual temperature: about 36 degrees F., (2 C.)
Mean annual precipitation: about 27 inches, (696 mm)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Benka, Kashwitna, Qutal, and Spenard soils. Benka and Kashwitna soils are well drained and occur on similar land forms. Qutal are somewhat poorly and occur on depressions on till plains. Spenard soils are poorly drained and occur on depressions on till plains.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very low to medium runoff. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high in the solum and high or very high in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for Recreation, wildlife habitat, and woodland. The native vegetation is Lutz spruce and paper birch.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 224, Cool Inlet Lowlands, South-Central Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Western Kenai Peninsula Area, Alaska, 2004

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:
Albic horizons: from 2 to 3 inches (6 to 7 cm) and 4 to 5 inches, (10 to 13 cm).
Spodic horizons: from 3 to 4 inches, (7 to 10 cm) and 5 to 6 inches, (13 to 16 cm).
Cambic horizon: from 6 to 33 inches, (16 to 84 cm).
Sandy or sandy-skeletal substratum: from 33 to 50 inches, (84 to 152 cm)
Temperature regime: cryic
Moisture regime: udic

ADDITIONAL DATA: Series was reestablished in the Western Kenai Peninsula Area, Alaska 2005.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.