LOCATION CHEDATNA                AK

Established Series
KMO-JPM
02/2022

CHEDATNA SERIES

The Chedatna series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in a thin mantle of ash-influenced loess overlying glaciofluvial deposits. Chedatna soils are on alluvial terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 34 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is about 25 inches.

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Chedatna silt loam - on a level slope under forest vegetation. (All colors are for moist soils)

Oe-- 2 inches to 0; moderately decomposed forest litter; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

E--0 to 1 inch; gray (10YR 5/1) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and common medium roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bw--1 to 3 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common medium distinct patches of brown (7.5YR 4/4); many fine and common medium roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

BC--3 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very fine sandy loam stratified with silt loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common medium distinct patches of yellowish brown (10YR 5/6); many fine and few medium roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

C1--9 to 19 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very fine sandy loam; massive; very friable; common fine roots; medium acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick).

2C2--19 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sand; single grain; loose; moderately acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Yentna Area, Alaska; 900 feet south and 1000 feet east of the northwest quarter of section 29, T.16N., R.7W., Seward Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 5 to 15 inches. The loess mantle ranges in thickness from 14 to 20 inches. The exchange complex of the solum is dominated by amorphous material. Reaction throughout the profile ranges from very strongly acid to medium acid.

A horizons, up to 5 inches thick, are present in some pedons. Hue is 7.5YR or 10YR; value moist is 2 or 3; and chroma moist is 1 or 2.

The E horizon has value moist of 4 or 5, and chroma moist of 1 or 2.

The B horizons have hue from 5YR to 10YR; value moist from 3 to 5; and chroma moist from 2 to 4. Texture is usually silt loam, but ranges to include loam and very fine sandy loam.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value moist from 3 to 6; and chroma moist from 1 to 4.

The 2C horizon is sand or loamy sand with less than 50 percent very fine sand. Thin strata of sandy loam occur in some pedons. Coarse fragment content ranges from 0 to 35 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing soils in this classification.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Chedatna soils are on alluvial terraces along major rivers. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in a thin mantle of ash-influenced loess overlying glaciofluvial deposits. The mean annual temperature ranges from 32 to 36 degrees F. The average annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 30 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Kashwitna, Nancy, Niklason, Schrock, and Susitna soils. Kashwitna, Nancy, and Schrock soils have spodic horizons and overlie sand and gravel on moraines. Niklason and Susitna soils formed in stratified alluvium on floodplains.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow. Moderate permeability in the loess mantle and rapid in the underlying sandy material.

USE AND VEGETATION: Chedatna soils are normally forested. The dominant trees are white spruce, paper birch, and a few cottonwoods. The understory consists of ferns, devils club, highbush cranberry, and forbs. Used for wildlife habitat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral Alaska. The series is of minor extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yentna Area, Alaska, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile include: a cambic horizon from 1 to 3 inches; cryic temperature regime; bulk density less than 0.95 g/cc and dominated by amorphous material in the exchange complex from 0 to 9 inches; medial particle size from 0 to 9 inches and sandy-skeletal particle size from 19 to 60 inches.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data is available for this soil - NSSL number 79P-2187-2192.

The range of characteristic also meets criterion for Andic Haplocryods subgroup classification----DLM.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.