LOCATION FISHWHEEL               AK

Established Series
SDB/MJS
08/2025

FISHWHEEL SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: moderately well drained
Parent material: coarse-loamy calcareous loess over sandy and gravelly alluvium
Landscape: mountains
Landform: river valleys and terraces
Slope: 2 to 6 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 350 mm (14 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about 2 degrees C (36 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 89 to 103 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Oxyaquic Haplocryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Fishwheel very fine sandy loam in a balsam poplar community on an east facing linear, concave river valley terrace on a slope of 6 percent at an elevation of 170 m (560 ft)

Oe--0 to 7 cm (0 to 3 in); moderately decomposed plant material, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; common very fine, fine, medium, coarse, and very coarse roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary (5 to 12 cm, 2 to 5 in)

A--7 to 21 cm (3 to 8 in); very fine sandy loam, very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine and fine, many medium and coarse, and common very coarse roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary (10 to 20 cm, 4 to 8 in)

AB--21 to 53 cm (8 to 21 in); silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine, fine, medium, coarse, and very coarse roots throughout; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary (28 to 36 cm, 11 to 14 in)

C1--53 to 70 cm (21 to 28 in); silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine and fine roots throughout; 10 percent medium faint irregular extremely weakly coherent cemented strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix and 15 percent coarse distinct irregular extremely weakly coherent cemented gray (10YR 5/1) masses of reduced iron with clear boundaries in matrix; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary (2 to 33cm, 1 to 13 in)

2C2--70 to 150 cm (28 to 59 in); very gravelly loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; 70 percent gravel by volume; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1). (79 to 110 cm, 31 to 43 in)

TYPE LOCATION: North Copper River Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 61.57892, longitude -144.43019, UTM 6829963.95 north and UTM 636428.42 east, zone 6, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: aquic
Soil temperature regime: cryic
Mean annual soil temperature: 1 to 5 degrees C (34 to 41 degrees F)
Thickness of organic material: 5 to 12 cm (2 to 5 in)
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 26 to 51 cm (10 to 20 in)
Depth to redoximorphic concentrations: 38 to 56 cm (15 to 22 in)
Depth to redoximorphic depletions: 38 to 56 cm (15 to 22 in)
Depth to aquic conditions: 38 to 56 cm (15 to 22 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, highly decomposed organic material.
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.8 to 7.8)

A and AB horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: very fine sandy loam or silt loam
Sand: 20 to 65 percent
Silt: 32 to 55 percent
Clay: 1 to 8 percent
Organic matter: 2.5 to 7 percent
Reaction class: slightly acid to slightly alkaline (pH 6.2 to 7.8)

C1 horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam
Sand: 20 to 40 percent
Silt: 52 to 74 percent
Clay: 1 to 8 percent
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent
Reaction class: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 7.0 to 7.8)

2C2 horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: very gravelly coarse sand, extremely gravelly coarse sand, gravelly coarse sand, extremely gravelly loamy sand
Sand: 75 to 95 percent
Silt: 3 to 24 percent
Clay: 1 to 3 percent
Rock fragments: 38 to 72 percent
Gravels: 30 to 70 percent
Cobbles: 2 to 8 percent
Organic matter: 1 to 2 percent
Reaction class: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (pH 7.5 to 8.4)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Biglost (ID) soils.
Biglost soils lack a loess mantle and occur at elevations above 1460 m (4800 ft).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 100 to 800 meters (330 to 2625 ft)
Parent material: coarse-silty calcareous loess over sandy and gravelly alluvium
Landform: terraces and glacial valley floors
Slopes: 2 to 6 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 300 to 500 mm (12 to 20 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -4 to 1 degree C (25 to 34 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 60 to 103 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Centuu, Drashner, Ganhona, Kennecott, Ride, and Saintelias soils.
Centuu soils are well drained and occur on river valleys and alluvial fans.
Drashner soils are somewhat poorly drained, have histic epipedons, and occur on mountains and hillslopes.
Ganhona soils are well drained, lack mollic epipedons, and occur on river valleys, flood plains, and lacustrine terraces in mountains.
Kennecott soils are well drained, have mollic epipedons greater than 40 cm (16 in) thick, and occur on river valleys and terraces.
Ride soils are somewhat excessively drained, lack mollic epipedons, form in colluvium, and occur on mountain slopes and hillslopes.
Saintelias soils are poorly drained, have permafrost, forms over lacustrine sediments, and occur on terraces and in river valleys.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: very high in the Oe and 2C2 horizons, high in the A and horizon, and moderately high in the AB and C1 horizons.
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: very high Oe horizon, high in the 2C2 horizon, high in the A horizon, and moderately high in the AB and C1 horizons.
Permeability: very rapid in the Oe horizon, rapid in the 2C2 horizon, moderately rapid in the A horizon, and moderate in the AB and C1 horizons.
Runoff: low

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: balsam poplar, squashberry, and mixed shrubs.

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: 32 to 107 cm (13 to 42 in)

Mollic epipedon: 7 to 53 cm (3 to 21 in) (A and AB horizons)

Redoximorphic concentrations: 53 to 70 cm (21 to 28 in) (C1 horizon)

Redoximorphic depletions: 53 to 70 cm (21 to 28 in) (C1 horizon)

Lithologic discontinuity: 70 to 150 cm (28 to 59 in) (C2 horizon)

Depth to aquic conditions: 53 to 70 cm (21 to 28 in) (C1 horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2018AK261008

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.