LOCATION KELSALL AK

Tentative Series
JWM/JPM
12/2022

KELSALL SERIES

The Kelsall series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived dominantly from metamorphic rocks. Kelsall soils occur on mountain sideslopes. Slopes range from 10 to 70 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 47 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Lithic Humicryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Kelsall silt loam - on an E facing slope of 30 percent at 400 feet elevation under forest vegetation. (All colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated)

Oe--5 to 0 inches; partially decomposed twigs, leaves, and moss; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)

E--0 to 2 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bhs1--2 to 6 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) gravelly silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; 25 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

Bhs2--6 to 11 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) very gravelly silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobble; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

Bhs3--11 to 19 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) very cobbly silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobble; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

R--19 inches; schist bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Haines Area, Alaska; NW1/4, Sec. 22, T.28S., R.55E., Copper River Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock ranges from 14 to 20 inches. The solum ranges from 7 to 20 inches thick. There is assumed more than 6 percent organic carbon in the upper 4 inches of the spodic horizon. Coarse fragment content in the control section ranges from 35 to 70 percent with 25 to 65 percent gravel and 5 to 40 percent cobble. Tree throw and micro-wasting has resulted in mixing and churning of horizons in many profiles. Clay content throughout the profile is less than 5 percent. Reaction throughout the profile ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid.

The A horizon, when present, has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value moist from 2 to 5, and chroma moist of 1 or 2. Texture is silt loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.

The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value moist from 3 to 5, and chroma moist from 1 to 3. Texture is silt loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam. Coarse fragments range from 0 to 30 percent with 0 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobble.

The Bhs horizons have hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5 YR, or 10YR, value moist from 2 to 4, and chroma moist from 1 to 4. Texture is silt loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.

The Bs horizon, when present, has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR, value moist from 2 to 4, and chroma moist from 2 to 6. Textures are silt loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.

C horizons are present in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Tolstoi series and the tentative McCally series in the same subgroup. Tolstoi soils have bedrock within 14 inches. McCally (T) soils have a solum less than 7 inches thick and have less than 4 percent organic carbon in the upper 4 inches of the spodic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kelsall soils occur on mountain sideslopes and are formed in residuum and colluvium from metamorphic rocks. The climate is humid maritime with the average annual precipitation ranging from 21 to 60 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 43 degrees F. The slope gradient is commonly 40 to 70 percent, but the range is 10 to 70 percent. Elevation ranges from 0 to 2,800 feet. The frost free season is 90 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Kupreanof series and the proposed Ferebee (P), Passage (P), Krubate (P), and Nataga (P) soils. Ferebee (P) soils occur on mountain ridge crests and sideslopes, and lack spodic horizons. Passage (P) soils occur on adjacent mountain sideslopes and are moderately deep over bedrock. Kupreanof soils are very deep. Krubate (P) soils occur on outwash plains and have sand and gravel substratums. Nataga (P) soils occur on alluvial fans, lack spodic horizons, and are very deep with sand and gravel substratums.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: The Kelsall soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat and recreation. The native vegetation is dominantly Sitka spruce and western hemlock with an understory vegetation of devil's club, Sitka alder, rustyleaf menziesia, and mosses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Haines Area, Alaska, 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are: (1) a spodic horizon from 2 to 11 inches with more than 6 percent organic carbon assumed in the upper 4 inches. (2) a weighted average of greater than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section. (3) a lithic contact from at 19 inches.

Laboratory data from similar soils in the area show greater than 6 percent organic carbon in the upper spodic horizons with moist chroma as high as 4.

These soils are named after the Kelsall River.

OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 12/83.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.