LOCATION MUTNALA                 AK

Established Series
Rev. DVP/JPM/DLM
05/2022

MUTNALA SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: ash influenced loess over loamy glacial till
Landform: moraines on till plains
Slopes: 0 to 60 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 20 to 30 inches
Mean annual temperature: about 37 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy, amorphic over mixed, superactive Andic Haplocryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Mutnala silt loam - on a SE facing slope of 9 percent under forest vegetation at 200 feet elevation. (All colors for moist soil unless otherwise stated)

Oe -- 0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 cm); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moderately decomposed plant material; nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) thick)

E -- 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) silt loam; weak thin platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm) thick)

Bhs -- 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) mucky silt loam; weak thin platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm) thick)

Oab -- 6 to 7 inches (15 to 18 cm); dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) highly decomposed plant material; weak thin platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 1 inch (0 to 2 cm) thick)

Eb -- 7 to 9 inches (18 to 24 cm); dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam; weak thin platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) thick)

Bhsb -- 9 to 12 inches (24 to 30 cm); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) mucky silt loam; strong very fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very thin and fine roots; less than 5 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches (2 to 7 cm) thick)

Bw1 -- 12 to 17 inches (30 to 43 cm); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to strong very fine granular; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 10 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) thick)

Bw2 -- 17 to 22 inches (43 to 57 cm); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6); very fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 10 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) thick)

2BC -- 22 to 34 inches (57 to 86 cm); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 25 percent gravel, 5 percent cobble; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches (13 to 20 cm) thick)

2C -- 34 to 60 inches (86 to 152 cm); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) gravelly sandy loam; massive; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 25 percent gravel, 5 percent cobble; strongly acid (pH 5.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Homer - Ninilchik Area, Alaska. 138 feet south and 15 feet west of the northeast corner Section 16, T. 5 S., R. 15 W., Seward Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Loess and ash thickness: 14 to 30 inches (36 to 75 cm)
Particle size control section (weighted average): greater than 15 percent fine sands and coarser
Depth to loamy glacial till: 14 to 30 inches (36 to 75 cm)
Solum thickness: 14 to 24 inches
Depth to the gravelly substratum: 14 to 35 inches, commonly 16 to 24 inches

O or Ob horizons:
Matrix color: hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 2 or 3; chroma of 1 to 3
Texture: slightly decomposed plant material, moderately decomposed plant material, slightly decomposed plant material
Reaction class: extremely acid to strongly acid

E or Eb horizons
Matrix color: hue of 5YR through 5Y; value 3 to 6; chroma of 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam, very fine sandy loam
Reaction class: very strongly acid or strongly acid

The Bhs or Bhsb horizons
Matrix color: hue of 2.5YR or 5YR; value of 2 or 3; chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: mucky silt loam, mucky very fine sandy loam
Total organic carbon: 6 to 12 percent
Reaction class: very strongly acid or strongly acid

Bw horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 4 or 5; chroma of 4 to 6 moist
Texture: silt loam, very fine sandy loam
Coarse fragments: 0 to 14 percent gravel
Reaction class: strongly or moderately acid
Because of frost churning, horizons may be distorted or even completely overturned.

2BC horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 3 to 5; chroma of 3 to 6
Texture: silt loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Coarse fragments: 5 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction class: strongly acid or moderately acid

2C horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR to 5Y; value of 4 or 5 moist; chroma of 2 to 5 Texture: silt loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Coarse fragments: 5 to 30 percent gravel; 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction class: strongly acid or moderately acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are Cohoe, Kenai, Naptowne, and Whitsol series. Cohoe soils have a weighted average of less than 15 percent fine sands and coarser in the particle size control section. Kenai soils have more 18 percent clay in the loamy part of the control section. Naptowne soils have less than 6 percent total carbon in the spodic horizon. Whitsol soils have stratified substratums.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: ash influenced loess over loamy glacial till
Landform: moraines on till plains
Slopes: 0 to 60 percent
Mean annual temperature: about 37 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 20 to 30 inches

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Kachemak, Qutal, Redoubt, Spenard, and Starichkof soils. Kachemak are lack albic horizons and occur on similar and landscapes. Qutal soils are somewhat poorly drained and occur on discharge slopes. Redoubt soils have greater than 6 percent organic carbon in the spodic horizon and occur on similar landscapes. Spenard and Starichkof soils have aquic moisture regimes and occur on depressions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low to high runoff. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high is the solum and moderately high or high in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: The Mutnala soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and residential development. The native vegetation is dominantly Sitka spruce and white spruce with an understory of Sitka alder, rusty menziesia, wood fern, and clubmoss. Some areas have been cleared and are used for vegetable crops and hay.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 224 Cook Inlet Lowland, South-central Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Homer-Ninilchik Area, Alaska. 1966.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are:
Albic horizons: 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) and 7 to 9 inches (18 to 24 cm)
Spodic horizons: 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) and 9 to 12 inches (24 to 30 cm) Andic soil properties: 12 to 22 inches (20 to 47 cm)
Amorphic particle size control section: 12 to 22 inches (20 to 47 cm)
Loamy particle size control section: 22 to 40 inches (47 to 100 cm)
Medial mineralogy: 12 to 22 inches (20 to 47 cm)
Mixed mineralogy: 22 to 40 inches (47 to 100 cm)

ADDITIONAL DATA: This profile was sampled as 83AK122001 and 87AK122007 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, 1983 and 1987, National Cooperative Soil Survey

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.