LOCATION PASAGSHAK AK

Established Series
Rev. CAP
04/2024

PASAGSHAK SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: somewhat poorly and moderately well drained
Parent material: herbaceous organic material over silty and loamy alluvium over sandy and gravelly outwash
Landscape: Islands
Landform: hills and plains on drainageways and flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 15 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 1500 mm (59 in)
Mean annual temperature: about 4 degrees C. (39 degrees F.)
Frost-free season: 20 to 50 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Oxyaquic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Pasagshak silt loam - in a forested flood plain at elevation of 113 meters (375 feet). (All colors are for moist soil)

Oe--0 to 3 centimeters (0 to 1 inches); very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2), brown (7.5YR 4/2), dry; moderately decomposed plant material; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium, coarse roots throughout; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm, 0 to 4 in thick)

A1--3 to 13 centimeters (1 to 5 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), brown (7.5YR 4/2), dry; silt loam; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium, coarse roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary.

A2--13 to 27 centimeters (5 to 11 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine, fine, common medium, and coarse roots throughout; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness 20 to 41 cm, 8 to 16 in thick)

2C1--27 to 40 centimeters (116 to 16 inches); dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) extremely gravelly sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; 65 percent gravel and 5 percent cobble; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual smooth boundary.

2C2--40 to 200 centimeters (16 to 79 inches); dark greenish gray (10Y 3/1) extremely gravelly sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; 65 percent gravel and 5 percent cobble; strongly acid (pH 5.5).

TYPE LOCATION: Kodiak Archipelago Soil Survey Area, Alaska; Latitude 57 degrees 20 minutes 48.40 seconds and Longitude 153 degrees 58 minutes 1.80 seconds west, UTM north 6356402.37 and UTM east 441795.40, zone 5, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: Udic
Mean annual soil temperature: 1.6 to 3.3 degrees C. (34.8 to 37.9 degrees F.)
Thickness of organic material: 0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in)
Depth to andic properties: 4 to 30 cm (2 to 12 in)
Depth to lithologic discontinuity: 20 to 41 cm (8 to 16 in)
Detph to aquic conditions: 41 to 100 cm (16 to 40 in)
Some pedons have recent volcanic ash that ranges from 3 to 25 cm (1 to 10 in).

Oa, Oe, Oi horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10 YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: slightly, moderately, or highly decomposed plant material
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

A horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: (medial) silt loam, silt, loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam and sandy loam
Sand: 20 to 70 percent
Silt: 40 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 10 percent
Rock Fragments: 0 to 14 percent
Reaction Class: very strongly acid to slightly acid (pH 3.5 to 6.5)

A2 horizon, (where present):
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 2 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, or loam and their very or extremely gravelly analogues
Sand: 40 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 10 percent
Rock Fragments: 25 to 75 percent
Reaction Class: very strongly acid to slightly acid (pH 3.5 to 6.5)

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, or loamy coarse sand and their very or extremely gravelly analogues
Reaction Class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

Some pedons have a thin recent ashy and glassy volcanic surface horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chiniak (AK), Fingers (AK), Kocacho (AK), Puffin (AK), and Tangoe (AK) series.
Chiniak soils have marine sediments in the substratum and occur on beaches, beach plains, and beach berms.
Fingers soils lack andic soil material in the surface horizon, have mean annual air temperatures greater than 6 degrees C. (43 degrees F.), have frost-free periods greater than 50 days, and occur on drainageways of glacial plains.
Kocacho soils lack andic soil material in the surface horizon, have mean annual air temperatures less than 0 degrees C. (32 degrees F.), have frost-free periods greater than 50 days, and occur on stream terraces.
Puffin soils lack glassy volcanic ash surface horizons, have mean annual air temperatures greater than 6 degrees C. (43 degrees F.), have frost-free periods greater than 50 days, and occur on flood plains.
Tangoe soils lack andic soil material in the surface horizon, have stratified alluvium substratum, have mean annual air temperatures less than 0 degrees C. (32 degrees F.), and occur on flood plains.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 5 to 300 meters (15 to 1000 feet)
Parent material: modeately decomposed herbaceous organic material over silty and loamy alluvium over sandy and gravelly outwashmarine deposits
Landform: drainageways and flood plains
Slope: 0 to 15 percent
Mean annual temperature: 0 to 6 degrees C. (32 to 43 degrees F.)
Mean annual precipitation: 600 to 3000 mm (28 to 118 in)
Frost free period: 20 to 50 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aleneva, Chiniak, Kizhuyak, Missak, Olds, Sa, Salonie, and Yukuk.
Aleneva soils have andic properties, cambic horizons, and occur on flood plains associated with the beach plains.
Chiniak soils have marine sediments in the substratum and occur on beaches, beach plains, and beach berms.
Kizhuyak soils have thick 1912 volcanic ash horizons, are poorly drained, and occur on flood plains associated with beach plains.
Missak soils have thick organic deposits, are very poorly drained, and occur in depressions associated with the beach plains.
Olds soils have histic epipedons, andic properties, are poorly drained, and occur on flood plains associated with the beach plains.
Sa soils have thick organic deposits, are very poorly drained, and occur in depressions associated with the beach plains.
Salonie soils have outwash parent material, are poorly drained, and occur on flood plains associated with beach plains.
Yukuk soils have andic properties, are poorly drained, and occur on flood plains associated with beach plains.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: moderately well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: very high in the Oe horizon, moderately high to high in the A horizon, and very high in the C horizons.
Permeability: rapid to very rapid in the Oe horizon, moderate to rapid in the A horizon and rapid to very rapid in the C horizons.
Runoff: low.
Flooding and duration: none to frequently with brief to long.

USE AND VEGETATION:
Used as grazing land. The native grasses are cut in places for hay and silage. The vegetation is tall grass, dominated by bluejoint reedgrass, and associated plants such as fireweed. In many places the soil supports stands of cottonwood and willows.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 220 Alexander Archipelago-Gulf of Alaska Coast and MLRA 225 Southern Alaska Peninsula Mountains.
Extent: moderate

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kodiak Archipelago Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:

Organic material: 0 to 3 cm (0 to 1 in) (Oe horizons)

Andic properties: 3 to 27 cm (1 to 11 in) (A horizon)

Lithologic discontinuity: 27 to 200 cm (11 to 79 in) (2C horizons)

Aquic conditions: 41 to 100 cm (16 to 40 in)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 09MM 03301

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.