LOCATION EKUK                    AK

Established Series
SAS/TJR/SJN
02/2022

EKUK SERIES

The Ekuk series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in loess over fluviomarine deposits on rises of coastal plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 610 millimeters and the mean annual air temperature is about 0.6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Typic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Ekuk silt loam, located on a rise on a coastal plain with a slope of 1 percent and elevation of 5 meters; when described on September 17th, 2007 the soil was moist throughout (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted)

AC--0 to 11 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; 45 percent sand; 52 percent silt; 3 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots, many medium roots, and few coarse roots; 1 percent nonflat 2 to 76 millimeter fragments; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary

2C--11 to 183 cm; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) very gravelly coarse sand; 90 percent sand; 8 percent silt; 2 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots, many medium roots, and few coarse roots; 54 percent nonflat 5 to 76 millimeter fragments; 1 percent nonflat 2 to 5 millimeter fragments; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.8)

TYPE LOCATION: Dillingham Census Area, Alaska; Located in the Village of Ekuk; 58.8075 degrees north latitude and 158.563333 degrees west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 0.7 to 1.9 degrees C (cryic soil temperature regime)
Soil moisture control section - Dry less than 45 consecutive days from June to October (udic soil moisture regime)

All mineral horizons-
Reaction - 6.1 to 7.4

Particle-size control section-
Clay content - 1 to 3 percent
Rock fragments - 35 to 55 percent

AC horizon
Hue - 10YR
Value - 2 to 4
Chroma - 2
Fine earth texture - Silt loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content - 1 to 5 percent
Reaction - 6.4 to 7.3
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent rounded coarse and medium gravels
Thickness - 9 to 13 cm

2C or C horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 3
Chroma - 1 to 3
Fine earth texture - Stratified loamy coarse sand or coarse sand
Clay content - 1 to 3 percent
Reaction - 6.1 to 7.4
Rock fragments - 35 to 55 percent total; 0 to 3 percent rounded fine gravels and 35 to 55 rounded medium and coarse gravels
Thickness - 170 to 174 cm

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alflack, Canlodore, Castlepeak, Chena, Cryomont, Dagget, Eklutna, Freelpeak, Graylock, Nataga, Nizina, Obscurity, Perfecto, Ragamuffin, Sofgran, Stecum, Studebaker, and Whittell series. Alflack, Dagget, Freelpeak, Graylock, Ragamuffin, Stecum, and Whittell are moderately deep to deep soils formed in residuum or colluvium on mountain slopes with slope gradients that range up to 20 to 75 percent. Castlepeak, Chena, and Eklutna are all excessively drained soils formed in alluvium and/or glacial outwash. Cryomont, Nataga, and Nizina all are formed in alluvium and have slopes that range up to 20 to 40 percent. Canlordore is a well drained soil formed in glacial deposits on mountainsides with slopes from 15 to 40 percent. Perfecto and Sofgran are mountain slope soils formed in colluvium, residuum, or slope alluvium with slopes that range from 8 to 65 percent. Obscurity is formed in mud flow material and Studebaker is formed in avalanche debris.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material - Coarse-loamy eolian deposits over sandy and gravelly fluviomarine deposits
Landform - Rises on coastal plains
Slope - 0 to 3 percent
Elevation - 0 to 15 meters
Climate - Cool summers; cold winters, August and September are the wettest months
Mean annual precipitation - 607 to 615 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 0.3 to 0.7 degrees C
Frost free duration - 85 to 140 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Sheepisland - Aquic conditions at surface, formed in mossy organic material over silty marine deposits, coastal plain talfs
Mudie - Aquic conditions within 25 cm, formed in silty marine deposits, coastal plain talfs
Ustiugof - Aquic conditions within 25 cm, formed in silty marine deposits over sandy and gravelly marine deposits, coastal plain talfs

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: (Ksat)
Drainage class - Somewhat excessively drained
Saturation in normal years - May through September the soil may be saturated at a depth greater than 152 centimeters for a period of time less than two weeks
Flooding - Rare
Ponding - None
Ksat - Moderately high in the AC horizon and high to very high in the 2C horizon

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use - Community development and recreation
Potential natural vegetation - Western Alaska maritime grassland composed of bluejoint grass, American dunegrass, beach pea, and Scottish licorice-root

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bristol Bay Lowlands; MLRA 236; small extent

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nushagak-Mulchatna Watershed Soil Survey, Dillingham Census Area, Alaska, 2019

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section - 25 to 100 cm
Ochric epipedon
Soil moisture regime - Udic

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.