LOCATION ESKILIDACREEK           AK

Established Series
SDB
08/2025

ESKILIDACREEK SERIES

Depth class: moderately deep
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: organic material over sandy eolian deposits
Landscape: mountains and foothills
Landform: hillslopes and hills
Slope: 1 to 5 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 350 mm (14 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -1 degrees C (30 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 60 to 103 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, subgelic Cumulic Mollorthels

TYPICAL PEDON: Eskildacreek highly organic loamy very fine sand on an ericaceous scrub dominated convex, convex hill summit on a slope of 5 percent at an elevation of 341m (1120 ft).

Oi--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in); slightly decomposed plant material, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; many very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary (6 to 15 cm, 2 to 6 in)

A--8 to 20 cm (3 to 8 in); highly organic loamy very fine sand, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; very fine and fine pores; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary (8 to 25 cm, 3 to10 in)

A/C--20 to 90 cm (8 to 35 in); highly organic loamy very fine sand, 70 percent very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and 30 percent olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine and fine roots top of horizon; very fine and fine pores; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); very abrupt smooth boundary (20 to 80 cm, 8 to 31 in).

A/Cf--90 to 150 cm (35 to 59 in); highly organic loamy very fine sand, 70 percent very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and 30 percent dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) moist; massive; very rigid, noncoherent; nonsmeary; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8). (30 to 116 cm, 12 to 46 in)

TYPE LOCATION: North Copper River Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 61.54405, longitude -144.43139, UTM 6826079.37 north and 636517.82 UTM east, zone 6, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: udic
Soil temperature regime: gelic
Mean annual soil temperature: -4 to 1 degree C (25 to 34 degrees F)
Thickness of organic material: 6 to 15cm (2 to 6 in)
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 28 to 105 cm (11 to 41 in)
Depth to permafrost: 34 to 120 cm (13 to 47 in)

Oi, Oe or Oa 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: moderately alkaline (pH 7.9 to 8.4)

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: highly organic Loamy very fine sand, highly organic very fine sandy loam
Sand: 75 to 85 percent
Silt: 10 to 23 percent
Clay: 2 to 6 percent
Organic matter: 7 to 9 percent
Reaction class: slightly alkaline (pH 7.4 to 7.8)

A/C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand
Sand: 75 to 85 percent
Silt: 10 to 23 percent
Clay: 2 to 6 percent
Organic matter: 0.1 to 2 percent
Reaction class: strongly alkaline (pH 8.5 to 9)

A/Cf horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand
Sand: 75 to 85 percent
Silt: 10 to 23 percent
Clay: 2 to 6 percent
Organic matter: 0.1 to 1 percent
Reaction class: strongly alkaline (pH 8.5 to 9)

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 200 to 800 meters (655 to 2625 ft)
Parent material: organic material over sandy eolian deposits
Landform: hills, hillslopes.
Slopes: 1 to 5 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 300 to 1400 mm (12 to 55 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -5 to 1 degree C (23 to 34 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 60 to 103 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alterationcreek, Benitocreek, Chitina, Hanagita, Ironcreek, and Rocklake soils.
Alterationcreek have bedrock below 100 cm (39 in) and occur on hillslopes and mountain valleys.
Benitocreek soils are somewhat poorly drained, have a lithic contact within 2 meters of the surface, and occur on mountain slopes and glacial valley floors.
Chitina soils have very deep (>40 cm, >16 in) mollic epipedons, and occur on loess covered lacustrine and stream terraces.
Hanagita soils are moderately deep to bedrock, form in loess and till covered bedrock, and occur on foothills and mountain slopes.
Ironcreek soils lack a cambic horizon and occur in river valleys and flood plains
Rocklake soils are shallow to bedrock and occur on ridge lines and escarpments.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: very high in the Oi, A and A/C horizons, low in the A/Cf
Permeability: very rapid in the Oi, A, and A/C horizons, low in the A/Cf horizon.
Runoff: high

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: Red fruit bearberry, squashberry, lingonberry

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 228 Interior Alaska mountains.
Extent: limited.

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: 33 to 108 cm (13 to 43 in)

Mollic epipedon: 8 to 90 cm (3 to 35 in) (A and A/C horizon)

Permafrost: 90 to 150 cm (35 to 59 in) (Cf horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2022AK261037

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.