LOCATION JIM                     AK

Established Series
Rev. JWM-JPM
05/2022

JIM SERIES

The Jim series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in loess overlying metamorphic bedrock. Jim soils are on footslopes and sideslopes of mountains. Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 34 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 16 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, nonacid Typic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Jim silt loam - on a south facing slope of 37 percent under native grass vegetation. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oe--1 inch to 0; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) mat of decomposing organic matter; clear wavy boundary.

A--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many roots; patches of very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

C1--5 to 22 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; few patches of dark yellowish brown silt loam; few thin streaks of organic matter; medium acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 20 inches thick)

C2--22 to 26 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silt loam; massive; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse roots; medium acid pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary.

R--26 inches; consolidated metamorphic bedrock

TYPE LOCATION: Matanuska Valley Area, Alaska; SW 1/4, SW 1/4, Section 23, T.17 N., R. 2 E., Seward Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Texture is dominantly silt loam with occasional thin lenses of very fine sand and very fine sandy loam. The weighted average particle size of the control section has less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Reaction throughout the profile ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid with pH greater than 5.5 (H20,1:1) in some part of the control section.

The A horizon has hue ranging from 7.5YR to 2.5Y; value moist from 3 to 5; and chroma moist from 1 to 3.

The C horizons have hue ranging from 10YR to 5Y; value moist from 3 to 5; and chroma moist from 2 to 4.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bodenburg, Jean Lake (T), and Knik series. These soils all lack bedrock within the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Jim soils are on the footslopes and sideslopesof mountain . They formed in a layer of eolian silts overlying metamorphic bedrock. The climate is transitional between maritime and continental. The average annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 20 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 33 to 36 degrees F. Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderate permeability. Moderate to rapid runoff.

USE AND VEGETATION: The Jim soils are used for pastureland, woodland, wildlife habitat and recreation. The native vegetation includes white spruce, paper birch, quaking aspen, and bluejoint reedgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral Alaska. The series is of minor extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Matanuska Valley Area, Alaska. 1960.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include: silt loam textures with less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser from 0 to 26 inches; pH of 5.8 (H20,1:1) from 5 to 26 inches; cryic temperature regime.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.