LOCATION HAPPY                   AK

Established Series
Rev. DKM/DLM
05/2022

HAPPY SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: somewhat poorly drained
Parent material: alluvium
Landform: natural levies along streams in upland valleys
Slopes: 0 to 7 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 11 inches, 280 mm
Mean annual temperature: about 25 degrees F., -4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS:

TYPICAL PEDON: Happy silt loam - on a slope of 1 percent under black spruce forest at 475 feet elevation. (All colors are for moist soil unless noted)

Oe--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 6 cm); very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2); moderately decomposed plant material; many vary fine to coarse roots; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

C/O--2 to 5 inches, (6 to 13 cm); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) and black (10YR 2/1); stratified silt loam and moderately decomposed plant material; massive; very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many vary fine to coarse roots; 15 percent fine faint gray (2.5Y 5/1) redoximorphic depletions; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

C1--5 to 10 inches, (13 to 25 cm); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3); silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine to medium roots; 2 percent fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6)redoximorphic concentrations and 15 percent fine faint gray (2.5Y 5/1)redoximorphic depletions; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary.

C2--10 to 20 inches, (25 to 51 cm); olive brown(2.5Y 4/3); silt loam; weak medium platy; friable nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; 2 percent fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6)redoximorphic concentrations and 2 percent fine faint gray (2.5Y 5/1)redoximorphic depletions; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary.

C/O--20 to 32 inches, (51 to 82 cm); olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) and dark brown(10YR 3/3); silt loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine to medium roots; 3 percent fine prominent brown (7.5YR 5/2) 7 percent fine faint gray (2.5Y 5/1)redoximorphic depletions; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of stratified C, O and Ab horizons 22 to 39 inches thick)

Cf--32 to 72 inches, (82 to 183 cm); permanently frozen material

TYPE LOCATION: Greater Nenana Area, Alaska; about 22 miles East of Fairbanks; in the NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4, section 30, T. 1 S.., R. 4 W.; Fairbanks (D-3) 1:63,360 quad; Fairbanks Meridian; UTM north 7187382 and UTM east 432622, zone 6.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Particle-size control (section weighted average):
Percent clay in the control section: 3 to 10 percent

Soil moisture regime: udic
Mean annual soil temperature: 26 degrees F., 50 cm
Thickness of organic materials: 2 to 6 inches, 5to 15 cm
Texture of the silty alluvium mantle: silt loam
Percent clay in the silty alluvium mantle: 3 to 10 percent
Depth to permafrost: 22 to 39 inches, 58 to 100 cm
Irregular decrease of organic carbon

O horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 2 or 3.
Texture: Moderately or slightly decomposed plant material

C/O and C horizons:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 2 to 5; chroma of 1 to 3
Redoximorphic concentration: hue of 7.5YR to 10YR; value of 4 or 5; chroma of 4 to 6
Texture: silt loam with stratas of moderately decomposed plant material
Reaction class: moderately acid to slightly acid

Cf horizon:

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing soils in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium
Landform: natural levies along streams
Slopes: 0 to 7 percent
Mean annual temperature: about 25 degrees F., -4 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation: about 11 inches, 280 mm

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Goldstream and Chatanika series. Goldstream soils are on valley bottoms and are very poorly drained. Chatanika soils are on hill toe slopes and are poorly drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: somewhat poorly drained, very high runoff, saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the silty alluvium mantle and impermeable in the permafrost

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation includes black spruce and rose.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 231, Interior Alaska Highlands, The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Greater Nenana Area, Alaska, 2007

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:
Irregular decrease in organic carbon: from 2 to 30 inches, 6 to 76 cm.
redoximorphic depletions: from 2 to 30 inches, 6 to 76 cm.
permafrost: at 30 inches, 82 cm.
Temperature regime: Cryic 26 F., -3 C.
Soil moisture regime: udic

ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory data (S04AK-090-001) from Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, samples by SSL, Lincoln, NE, 07/04

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.