LOCATION ESKILIDA                AK

Established Series
SDB
08/2025

ESKILIDA SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: poorly drained
Parent material: organic material over gravelly lacustrine deposits
Landscape: lake plains
Landform: river valleys and terraces
Slope: 1 to 20 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 10 mm (4 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about 5 degrees C (41 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 45 to 90 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Aquic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Eskilda gravelly loam in a white spruce and aspen community on a linear, concave river valley terrace on a slope of 2 percent at an elevation of 588m (1930 ft).

Oi--0 to 6 cm (0 to 2 in); slightly decomposed plant material, black (10YR 2/1) rubbed moist; common very fine, fine, medium, coarse, and very coarse roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt smooth boundary (3 to 10 cm, 1 to 4 in)

Oa--6 to 16 cm (2 to 6 in); highly decomposed plant material, black (10YR 2/1) rubbed moist; common very fine, fine, medium, coarse, and very coarse roots throughout; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.3); abrupt wavy boundary (5 to 15 cm, 2 to 6 in)

A--16 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in); gravelly loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; nonsmeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots throughout; 10 percent medium distinct irregular extremely weakly coherent cemented (2.5y 4/1), moist, masses of reduced iron with clear boundaries throughout and 20 percent medium distinct irregular extremely weakly coherent cemented (2.5y 4/3), moist, masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries throughout; 25 percent gravel by volume; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary (7 to 16 cm, 3 to 6 in).

C1--30 to 55 cm (12 to 22 in); very gravelly clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; nonsmeary; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; 10 percent medium distinct irregular extremely weakly coherent cemented (2.5y 5/1), moist, masses of reduced iron with clear boundaries throughout and 15 percent medium distinct irregular extremely weakly coherent cemented (2.5y 4/4), moist, masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries throughout; 5 percent cobbles by volume, 31 percent gravel by volume; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary (20 to 50 cm, 8 to 20 in).

C2--55 to 150 cm (22 to 59 in); very gravelly sandy clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; nonsmeary; common fine and medium roots throughout; 15 percent cobbles by volume, 35 percent gravel by volume; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5) (61 to 115 cm, 24 to 45 in)

TYPE LOCATION: North Copper River Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 62.36431, longitude -145.49854, UTM 6915667.35 north and UTM 577696.54 east, zone 6, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: udic
Soil temperature regime: cryic
Mean annual soil temperature: 1 to 5 degrees C (34 to 41 degrees F)
Thickness of organic material: 8 to 25 cm (3 to 10 in)
Thickness of folistic epipedon: 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in)
Depth to Aquic conditions: 16 to 55 cm (6 to 22 in)
Depth to redoximorphic concentrations: 16 to 55 cm (6 to 22 in)
Depth to redoximorphic depletions: 16 to 55 cm (6 to 22 in)

Oi and Oe horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: slightly decomposed organic material, moderately decomposed organic material
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8)

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: Gravely loam, loam
Sand: 30 to 52 percent
Silt: 28 to 50 percent
Clay: 10 to 26 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent gravel
Organic matter: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction class: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8)

C horizons:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: gravely clay, very gravely clay, gravely clay loam, very gravely clay loam, very gravely silty clay loam
Sand: 30 to 55 percent
Silt: 3 to 40 percent
Clay: 27 to 60 percent
Rock fragments: 25 to 50 percent
Gravels: 15 to 45 percent
Cobbles: 0 to 15 percent
Organic matter: 0.1 to 1 percent
Reaction class: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Teacreek (AK) soils.
Teacreek is poorly drained, has a silt loam surface texture, an E horizon, and occurs on hillslopes and mountain slopes.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 400 to 800 meters (1310 to 2625 ft)
Parent material: organic material over gravelly lacustrine deposits
Landform: river valleys, terraces
Slopes: 1 to 20 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 300 to 500 mm (12 to 20 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -4 to -2 degrees C. (25 to 28 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 20 to 75 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aquatna, Glennallen, Klasi, Klawasi, Kluna, and Nizina soils.
Aquatna soils are very poorly drained, have stratified material in horizons, and occur on floodplains.
Glennallen soils are a poorly drained permafrost, have histic epipedons and a cryoturbated horizons, and occur on river valleys and lacustrine terraces in outwash plains and lake plains.
Klasi soils are very poorly drained, have permafrost, have histic epipedons, and occur on lacustrine terraces.
Klawasi soils are very poorly drained, are permafrost soils, have histic epipedons, have loess caps over clayey lacustrine sediments, and occur on lacustrine terraces.
Kluna soils are well drained, has stratified horizons of sandy and silty alluvium, and occur on stream terraces and floodplains.
Nizina soils are somewhat excessively or excessively drained and occur on flood plains and alluvial fans.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: poorly
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: very high in the O horizons, high in the A horizon, and moderately high in the C horizons.
Permeability: very rapid in the O horizons, moderately rapid in the A horizon and moderately slow in the C horizons.
Runoff: very high

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: white spruce, aspen, moss

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 227 Copper River Basin.
Extent: moderate

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska

SERIES ESTABLISHED: North Copper River Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:

Particle-size control section: 41 to 116 cm (16 to 46 in)

Folistic epipedon: 0 to 16 cm (6 to 10 in) (Oi and Oa horizons)

Redoximorphic concentrations: 16 to 89 cm (10 to 35 in) (A, C1, and C2 horizons)

Redoximorphic depletions: 16 to 89 cm (10 to 35 in) (A, C1, and C2 horizons)

Aquic conditions: 16 to 89 cm (6 to 22 in) (A, C1, and C2 horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2017AK261207

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.