LOCATION OWHAT                   AK

Established Series
Rev. MHC/DLM
05/2022

OWHAT SERIES

Depth class: shallow to permafrost
Drainage class: poorly drained
Landforms: hills
Parent material: silty eolian deposits
Elevation: 2,392 to 2,720 feet (729 to 829 m)
Slope: 2 to 15 percent
Annual precipitation: 28 to 33 inches (722 to 848 mm)
Annual temperature: 25 degrees F (-4 degrees C)
Frost-free period: 60 to 80 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS:

TYPICAL PEDON: Owhat peat - on a slope of 12 percent under shrub birch-mixed ericaceous shrub/sedge scrub. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oi--0 to 6 inches (0 to 15 cm); dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) slightly decomposed plant material; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; very strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary.

Oe--6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm); very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moderately decomposed plant material; many very, fine, and medium roots; very strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary.

A--10 to 14 inches (25 to 36 cm); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) and dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam; weak thin platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt wavy boundary.

Af--14 to 60 inches (36 to 152 cm); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) and dark brown (10YR 3/3) permanently frozen silt loam; few very fine and fine roots; strongly acid (pH 5.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Delta River Area, Alaska; along the lower Delta River about 6 miles above Black Rapids; UTM coordinates: Zone 6, Easting 561503, Northing 7031108.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture class: aquic
Average annual soil temperature: 30 to 32 degrees F (-0.1 to 0 degrees C)
Mean summer soil temperature: 36 to 39 degrees F. (2 to 4 degrees C)
Depth to permafrost: 11 to 14 inches (28 to 36 cm)

Oi, Oe horizon:
Colorhue of 5YR to 10YR; value of 2 to 3; chroma of 1 to 4
Texturepeat, mucky peat
Organic matter content65 to 90 percent
Reactionvery strongly acid or strongly acid

A horizon:
Colorvalue of 2 or 3; chroma of 1 to 3
Clay content0 to 10 percent
Silt content55 to 75 percent
Sand content15 to 35 percent
Organic matter content2 to 4 percent
Rock fragments0 to 5 percent rounded gravel; 0 to 2 percent rounded cobbles
Reactionstrongly acid 0r moderately acid

Af horizon:
Colorvalue of 2 or 3; chroma of 1 to 3
Clay content0 to 10 percent
Silt content55 to 75 percent
Sand content15 to 35 percent
Organic matter content2 to 4 percent
Rock fragments0 to 5 percent rounded gravel; 0 to 2 percent rounded cobbles
Reactionstrongly acid or moderately acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this classification.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landforms: hills
Parent material: silty eolian deposits
Elevation: 2,392 to 2,720 feet (729 to 829 m)
Slope: 2 to 15 percent
Annual precipitation: 28 to 33 inches (722 to 848 mm)
Annual temperature: 25 degrees F (-4 degrees C)
Frost-free period: 60 to 80 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Fields soils. Fields soils are well drained, moderately deep to bedrock, and occur on mountains.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained, very high runoff. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high above the permafrost and very low in the permafrost.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife habitat and recreation. Native vegetation is shrub birch-mixed ericaceous shrub/sedge scrub.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 228, Interior Alaska Mountains, Alaska. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Delta River Area, Alaska, 2005

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:
Depth to permafrost: 14 to 60 inches. (Af horizon)
Histic epipedon: 0 to 10 inches. (Oi and Oe horizons)
Umbric horizon: 10 to 60 inches. (A and Af horizons)
Coarse-silty particle size control section: 10 to 40 inches from the mineral surface
Temperature regime: pergelic
Moisture regime: aquic.

ADDITIONAL DATA:

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.