LOCATION SAINTELIAS              AK

Established Series
SDB/MJS
08/2025

SAINTELIAS SERIES

Depth class: moderately deep to permafrost
Drainage class: poorly drained
Parent material: organic material over coarse-loamy loess
Landscape: mountains and lake plains
Landform: terraces in river valleys
Slope: 0 to 10 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 350 mm (14 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -3 degrees C (27 F)
Frost-free period: 20 to 103 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, subgelic Typic Histoturbels

TYPICAL PEDON: Saintelias mucky peat in a black spruce community on a southeast facing river valley terrace on a slope of 1 percent at an elevation of 547m (1795 ft).

Oe--0 to 21 cm (0 to 8 in); mucky peat, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; many very fine, common fine, and many coarse roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 23 cm, 7 to 9 in)

Oa--21 to 38 cm (8 to 15 in); muck, black (10YR 2/1) moist; many very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 18 cm, 4 to 7 in)

A--38 to 44 cm (15 to 17 in); silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; very hard, extremely firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; few very fine and fine roots throughout; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary (5 to 8 cm, 2 to 3 in)

A/Cjj--44 to 60 cm (17 to 24 in); silt loam, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak thin platy structure; very hard, extremely firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; very few fine roots throughout; 20 percent medium prominent irregular extremely weakly coherent cemented brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; neutral (pH 7.2); clear irregular boundary (9 to 18 cm, 4 to 7 in)

C/Afjjg--60 to 150 cm (24 to 59 in); silt loam, gray (N 5/), and black (10YR 2/1) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; very hard, extremely firm, noncoherent, slightly sticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; 20 percent medium prominent irregular extremely weakly coherent cemented dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; neutral (pH 7.1) (83 to 98 cm, 33 to 39 in)

TYPE LOCATION: North Copper River Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 62.31111, longitude -145.31250, UTM 6909979.70 north and UTM 587476.89 east, zone 6, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: udic
Soil temperature regime: gelic
Mean annual soil temperature: -4 to 1 degrees C. (25 to 34 degrees F)
Thickness of histic epipedon: 28 to 41 cm (11 to 16 in)
Depth of aquic conditions: 0 to 150 cm (0 to 59 in)
Depth to redoximorphic concentrations: 43 to 49 cm (17 to 19 in)
Depth to redoximorphic depletions: 52 to 67 cm (20 to 26 in)
Depth to cryoturbation: 43 to 49 cm (17 to 19 in)
Depth to permafrost: 52 to 67 cm (20 to 26 in)

Oi, Oe, Oa horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: peat, mucky peat, muck
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8)

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: silt loam
Sand: 25 to 33 percent
Silt: 56 to 67 percent
Clay: 5 to 11 percent
Rock fragments: 0 percent
Organic matter: 3 to 8 percent
Reaction class: slightly acid to neutral (pH 6.1 to 7.0)

A/Cjj and C/Ajjgf horizons:
A material: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 3, and chroma of 1 to 2.
C materia: hue of 2.5Y or N, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 0 to 2.
Texture: very fine sandy loam, silt loam, loam
Sand: 16 to 69 percent
Silt: 26 to 79 percent
Clay: 5 to 11 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravels
Gravels: 0 to 10 percent
Organic matter: 0.5 to 1.5 percent
Reaction class: neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Apun (AK), Chakina (AK), Foggypass (AK), Pupcreek (AK), Slatka (AK), and Tulebagh (AK) soils.
Apun soils do not have till in the lower horizons and occur on river valley terraces.
Chakina soils are somewhat poorly drained, lack an A horizon, and have coarse fragments in the mineral horizons.
Foggypass soils are somewhat poorly drained, mineral horizon, and lack a loess cap.
Pupcreek soils have colluvium parent material and occur on hills.
Slatka soils are somewhat poorly drained, have permafrost between 28 and 39 cm (11 to 15 in), and occur on mountain slopes.
Tulebagh soils lack an A horizon, do not have coarse fragments in the c horizons, and occur on stream terraces and interdunes on alluvial plains

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 100 to 800 meters (330 to 2625 ft)
Parent material: organic material over coarse-loamy loess
Landform: terraces in river valleys
Slopes: 0 to 10 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 300 to 500 mm (12 to 20 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -4 to 1 degrees C. (25 to 34 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 20 to 103 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Drashner, Ganhona, Klawasi, Maclaren, Ride, and Tacaes soils.
Drashner soils are somewhat poorly drained, have a histic epipedon, lack permafrost, and occur on mountains and hillslopes.
Ganhona soils are well drained, have a cambic horizon, lack permafrost, and occur on river valleys, flood plains, and lacustrine terraces in mountains.
Klawasi soils are a very poorly drained, form in loess covered clayey lacustrine sediments, and occur on lacustrine terraces.
Maclaren soils are well drained, lack permafrost, have an extremely cobbly substratum beneath stratified sands, and occur on terraces and river valleys in lake plains.
Ride soils are somewhat excessively drained, lack permafrost, have little development, and occur on mountain slopes and hillslopes.
Tacaes soils are organic and occur in depressions and drainages.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: poorly
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: high in the Oi and Oe horizons, moderately high in the A and A/Cjj horizons, moderately low in the C/Ajjgf horizon
Permeability: moderately rapid in the Oi, Oe horizons, moderate in the A and A/Cjj horizons, very slow in the C/Ajjgf horizon
Runoff: negligible

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: black spruce, feather moss and sedges

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 228 Interior Alaska mountains and MLRA 227 Copper River basin.
Extent: moderate

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:

Particle-size control section: 63 to 138 cm (25 to 54 in)

Histic epipedon: 0 to 38 cm (0 to 15 in) (Oe and Oa horizons)

Cryoturbation: 44 to 150 cm (17 to 59 in) (A, A/Cjj and C/Ajjgf horizons)

Gelic materials: 44 to 150 cm (17 to 59 in) (A, A/Cjj and C/Ajjgf horizons)

Redoximorphic concentrations: 44 to 150 cm (17 to 59 in) (A, A/Cjj and C/Ajjgf horizons)

Redoximorphic depletions: 60 to 150 cm (24 to 59 in) (A/Cjj and C/Ajjgf horizons)

Aquic conditions: 0 to 150 cm (0 to 59 in) (Oe, Oa, A, A/Cjj and C/Ajjgf horizons)

Permafrost: 60 to 150 cm (24 to 59 in) (C/Ajjgf horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2017AK261051

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.