LOCATION GREYLINGCREEK           AK

Established Series
SDB/MJS
08/2025

GREYLINGCREEK SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: excessively drained
Parent material: organic material over outwash
Landscape: mountains
Landform: mountain valleys and moraines
Slope: 0 to 20 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 520 mm (20 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -2 degrees C (28 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 32 to 103 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Typic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Greylingcreek silt loam in a resin birch and crowberry community on a north facing convex, convex, footslope on a slope of 5 percent at an elevation of 1075m (3530 ft)

Oi--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in); slightly decomposed plant material, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) dry, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt smooth boundary (5 to 13 cm, 2 to 5 in)

A--8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 in); stony silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and many medium roots throughout; 10 percent gravels by volume, 20 percent stones by volume; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt irregular boundary (2 to 12 cm, 1 to 5 in)

C--13 to 150 cm (5 to 59 in); extremely cobbly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) dry, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many medium and common fine roots; 30 percent gravels by volume, 20 percent cobbles by volume, and 20 percent stones by volume; strongly acid (pH 5.4). (125 to 143 cm, 49 to 56 in)

TYPE LOCATION: North Copper River Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 61.59252, longitude -145.0091, UTM 6830403.21 north, and UTM 605655.34 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 (30 to 41 degrees F)
Thickness of organic material: 5 to 13 cm (2 to 5 in)
Thickness of ochric epipedon: 7 to 25 cm (3 to 10 in)

Oi, Oe, and Oa horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: slightly decomposed organic material, moderately decomposed organic material, and highly decomposed organic material.
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: very strongly acid (pH 4.5 to 5.0)

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: stony silt loam
Sand: 15 to 30 percent
Silt: 58 to 80 percent
Clay: 5 to 13 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 37 percent
Gravels: 0 to 12 percent
Stones: 0 to 25 percent
Organic matter: 4 to 13 percent
Reaction class: strongly acid to slightly acid (pH 5.1 to 6.5)

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 5
Texture: extremely gravelly sand, extremely stony loamy sand
Sand: 75 to 93 percent
Silt: 5 to 22 percent
Clay: 2 to 6 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent
Gravels: 15 to 35 percent
Cobbles: 15 to 25 percent
Stones: 5 to 25 percent
Organic matter: 0.1 to 1 percent
Reaction class: moderately acid to neutral (pH 5.6 to 7.3)

Some pedons have a 5-10 cm thick Bw horizon with a Hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4, and a texture of loamy sand, silt loam, sandy loam, gravely sandy loam or gravelly silt loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bearisland (AK), Chena (AK), Drybay (AK), Eklutna (AK), Ekuk (AK), Grassylake (AK), Lituya (AK), Muirpoint (AK), Nataga (AK), Nizina (AK), and Venetie (AK) soils.
Bearisland soils are well drained, are slightly to strongly effervescent in the mineral horizons, and occur on moraines of mountain valleys.
Chena soils have high amounts of mica throughout.
Drybay soils are well drained, have variegated substrata, and occur on alluvial plains.
Eklutna soils have alluvium parent material and occur on terraces and alluvial fans.
Ekuk soils are somewhat excessively drained, have fluviomarine deposites as parent material, and occur between 0 and 15m (0 and 49 ft) elevation on rises in coast plains.
Grassylake soils are somewhat excessively drained and occur between 0 and 8 m (0 and 26 ft) elevation on coastal plain berms.
Lituya soils are somewhat excessively drained, have variegated extremely gravelly coarse sand as both the surface and subsurface textures, and occur on fluviomarine terraces.
Muirpoint soils are well drained, have free carbonates from 11 to 150 cm, and occur on valley trains in glaciated mountain valleys.
Nataga soils are somewhat excessively drained, and occur on alluvial fans and toe slopes below 518m (1700 ft) elevation.
Nizina soils are somewhat excessively or excessively drained, have a mantel of eolian material, and occur on flood plains and alluvial fans.
Venetie soils are somewhat excessively drained and occur on stream terraces and flood plains on alluvial plains.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 600 to 1600 meters (1970 to 5250 ft)
Parent material: organic material over outwash
Landform: mountain valleys and moraines
Slopes: 0 to 20 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 300 to 1400 mm (12 to 55 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -5 to -1 degrees C (23 to 30 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 32 to 103 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bernardpeak, Fourthofjuly, Kimballpass, Tasta, and Tsina soils.
Bernardpeak soils are somewhat poorly drained organic soils and occur on stream terraces in mountain valleys.
Fourthofjuly soi are well drained, have a folistic epipedon, and occur on mountain valleys and stream terraces.
Kimballpass soils are well drained, have a mollic epipedon, and occur on slopes between 20 and 70 percent.
Tasta soils are well drained, have a mollic epipedon, and occur on mountain slopes above 800 m (2600 ft) elevation.
Tsina soils are well drained, lack a cambic horizon, and occur on mountain slopes above 800 m (2600ft) elevation.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: excessively well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: very high in the Oi and C horizon, moderately high in the A horizon.
Permeability: very rapid in the Oi and C horizon, moderate in the A horizon.
Runoff: medium

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: resin birch, black crowberry, splendid feather moss

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

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)

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in) (Oi and A horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2022AK261642

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.