LOCATION LIBERTYCREEK            AK

Established Series
SDB
08/2025

LIBERTYCREEK SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: somewhat poorly drained
Parent material: loamy alluvium over loess over sandy and gravelly alluvium
Landscape: hills and mountains
Landform: flood plains and stream terraces
Slope: 0 to 5 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 450 mm (18 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -1 degrees C (30 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 70 to 103 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid Aquic Cryofluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Libertycreek very fine sandy loam in a balsam poplar community on a linear, linear river valley terrace on a slope of 1 percent at an elevation of 190m (625 ft).

Oe--0 to 14 cm (0 to 6 in); moderately decomposed plant material, brown (7.5YR 4/2) dry, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; many very fine, common fine, many medium, and common coarse roots; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary (8 to 15 cm, 3 to 6 in)

C1--14 to 36 cm (6 to 14 in); very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine, common fine, many medium, and common coarse roots throughout; very fine and fine interstitial pores; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.

C2--36 to 62 cm (14 to 24 in); very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots throughout; very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gray (2.5Y 5/1) masses of reduced iron and 20 percent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron; neutral (pH 7.1); clear smooth boundary (35 to 55cm, 14 to 22 in)

2C3--62 to 90 cm (24 to 35 in); silt loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common fine roots; very fine irregular and fine irregular pores; 10 percent gray (2.5Y 5/1) masses of reduced iron and 20 percent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.

2C4--90 to 120 cm (35 to 47 in); silt loam, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; very fine irregular and fine irregular pores; 15 percent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron; neutral (pH 7.0). (40 to 75 cm, 16 to 30 in)

3C5--120 to 200 cm (47to 79 in); very gravelly sand, variegated; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; very fine and fine interstitial pores; 55 percent subrounded gravel by volume; neutral (pH 7.0). (65 to 117 cm, 26 to 46 in)

TYPE LOCATION: North Copper River Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 61.64732, longitude -144.64942, UTM 6837140.53 north and UTM 624518.73 east, zone 6, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: aquic
Soil temperature regime: cryic
Mean annual soil temperature: -5 to 1 degrees C. (23 to 34 degrees F)
Thickness of organic material: 8 to 15 cm (3 to 6 in)
Thickness of ochric epipedon: 8 to 15 cm (3 to 6 in)
Depth of aquic conditions: 36 to 120 cm (14 to 47 in)
Depth to redoximorphic concentrations: 23 to 40 cm (9 to 16 in)
Depth to redoximorphic depletions: 23 to 40 cm (9 to 16 in)
Depth to lithologic discontinuity: 43 to 70 cm (17 to 28 in)

Oi, Oe, Oa horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: Slightly decomposed organic material, moderately decomposed organic material, highly decomposed organic material.
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: slightly acid to neutral (pH 6.1 to 7.3)

C horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: very fine sandy loam
Sand: 45 to 75 percent
Silt: 17 to 50 percent
Clay: 1 to 8 percent
Organic matter: 0.5 to 1.5 percent
Reaction class: neutral to moderately alkaline (pH 6.6 to 8.4)

2C horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam
Sand: 10 to 40 percent
Silt: 50 to 80 percent
Clay: 3 to 10 percent
Organic matter: 1 to 2 percent
Reaction class: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8)

3C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: very gravelly sand
Sand: 86 to 99 percent
Silt: 0 to 13 percent
Clay: 1 to 4 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 59 percent gravel
Organic matter: 0.1 to 1 percent
Reaction class: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Eielson (AK) and Ulet (AK) soils.
Eielson soils have significant amounts of mica in the profile.
Ulet soils have silt loam surface horizons and acidic parent material.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 100 to 1000 meters (330 to 3280 ft)
Parent material: loamy alluvium over loess over sandy and gravelly alluvium
Landform: stream terraces and flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 5 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 300 to 1200 mm (12 to 47 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -5 to 1 degrees C. (23 to 34 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 70 to 103 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hanagita, Rocklake, Taral, and Townlake soils.
Hanagita soils are well drained, have mollic epipedons, are moderately deep to bedrock, and occur on hills in loess and till covered bedrock.
Rocklake soils are well drained, lack a mollic epipedon, are less than 50cm deep to bedrock, and occur on escarpments and ridges on mountain sides
Taral soils are well drained, have a deep (>40 cm, 16 in thick) mollic epipedon, and occur on mountain and hill slopes greater than 25 percent.
Townlake soils are a moderately well drained, have permafrost, have folistic and mollic epipedons, a cryoturbated horizon, and occur on hills, mountain slopes, and river valleys.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: somewhat poorly drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: very high in the Oe and 3C horizons, high in the C horizon, and moderately high in the 2C horizon.
Permeability: very rapid in the Oe and 3C horizons, moderately rapid in the C horizon, and moderate in the 2C horizon.

Runoff: very high

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: Balsam poplar, squashberry, prickly rose

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

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:

Aquic conditions: 36 to 120 cm (14 to 47 in) (C2, 2C3, 2C4 and 3C5 horizons)

Particle-size control section: 39 to 114 cm (15 to 45 in)

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 14 cm (0 to 6 in) (O horizon)

Redoximorphic concentrations: 36 to 120 cm (14 to 47 in) (C2, 2C3, 2C4 and 3C5 horizons)

Redoximorphic depletions: 36 to 90 cm (14 to 35 in) (C2 and 2C3 horizons)

Lithologic discontinuity: 62 to 200 cm (24 to 79 in) (2C3, 2C4 and 3C5 horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2018AK261106

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.