LOCATION GANHONA                 AK

Established Series
Rev. MHC/JPM/DLM
12/2022

GANHONA SERIES

The Ganhona series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in a thin loess mantle over stratified loamy alluvium. Ganhona soils are on dissected stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 16 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Ganhona silt loam on a 15 percent slope under white spruce woodland at 2475 feet elevation. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oi--0 to 7 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) peat; fibrous moss, roots, and twigs; many roots of all sizes; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)

Bw--7 to 9 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) and reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt irregular boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

2C1--9 to 14 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist fine sandy loam; moderate medium platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; moderately acid (pH 5.9); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

2C2--14 to 59 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) stratified sand, fine sand, fine sandy loam and silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 52 inches thick)

2C3--59 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist sand; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; neutral (pH 6.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Gulkana River Area, middle fork, Alaska; about 13 miles southwest of Paxson; the SW1/4 of the NE1/4 of section 28, T.13N., R.3W., Copper River Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils have a thin silty loess mantle 1 to 4 inches thick over stratified sandy through silty materials. The organic mat ranges form 2 to 7 inches thick. Reaction in the solum ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid and moderately acid to neutral in the substratum.

The A horizon (when present) has value moist of 2 or 3; chroma moist of 1 through 3.

The Bw or 2Bw horizon has hue moist of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value moist of 3, or 4; chroma moist of 4 through 6. Texture is silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam.

The 2C horizons have hue moist of 10YR, or 2.5Y; value moist of 3 or 4; chroma moist of 1, 2, or 3. Texture is stratified fine sandy loam, silt loam and sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are Progress, Eska, Kalambach, Mine, Sambrito, Southpaw, Steese, Tebay, and Tsana series. The Progress soils have substantial mica in the loess mantle. The Kalambach and Steese soils have substrata with more than 35 percent coarse fragments. Steese soils also have bedrock at from 20 to 40 inches. Eska, Mine, Sambrito, Southpaw, Tsana, and Tebay soils lack stratified substrata.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ganhona soils are on dissected stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. These soils formed in a thin silty loess mantle over stratified loamy alluvium. The mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is about 16 inches. Elevation ranges from 2400 to 2750 feet.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow to medium runoff. Moderate permeability throughout.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly white spruce woodland with an understory of bog birch shrub. Primary uses of these soils include recreation and wildlife habitat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral, Alaska. The soil is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gulkana River Area, Alaska. 1999

REMARKS: Diagnostic features recognized in this profile include: a cambic horizon from 0 to 2 inches; a silty loess mantle from 0 to 2 inches with a coarse-silty particle size; coarse-loamy particle size (weighted average) from 2 to 60 inches; cryic temperature regime. Formnerly classified as Cryochrepts.

This soil has stratified textures and could meet Fluventic subgroup criterion.--DLM

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.