LOCATION SARDINECREEK AK
Established Series
MJS/MPS
04/2026
SARDINECREEK SERIES
Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: somewhat poorly drained
Parent material: mossy organic material over gravelly loamy alluvium derived from metamorphic and sedimentary rock
Landscape: river valleys
Landform: terraces
Slope: 1 to 5 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 400 mm (16 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -4 degrees C. (25 degrees F.)
Frost-free period: 70 to 85 days
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid, subgelic Fluvaquentic Gelaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Sardinecreek silt loam in a black spruce woodland with an ericaceous understory community on a northeast facing linear, linear tread on a slope of 3 percent at an elevation of 157m (515 ft)
Oi--0 to 14 cm (0 to 6 in); slightly decomposed plant material; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; many very fine, fine, and common medium roots throughout; extremely acid (pH 4.3); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 cm, 4 to 7 in thick)
Oa--14 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in); highly decomposed plant material; black (10YR 2/1) moist, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; many very fine and fine roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 cm, 2 to 4 in thick)
A--20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 in); silt loam; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist, brown (7.5YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium platy structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine and few fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine irregular pores; noneffervescent; strongly acid (pH 5.3); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 12 cm, 2 to 5 in thick)
Bw--28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in); silt loam; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium platy parts to strong medium granular structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine and few fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 cm, 0 to 2 in thick)
Bg--30 to 80 cm (12 to 32 in); very gravelly silt loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium platy parts to strong medium granular structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; few very fine and fine roots throughout; few fine irregular pores; 10 percent coarse distinct irregular brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron in matrix surrounding redox depletions and 20 percent very coarse distinct irregular very weakly coherent gray (2.5Y 6/1) iron depletions in matrix; 10 percent cobbles, 30 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (30 to 65 cm, 12 to 26 in thick)
Cg--80 to 200 cm (32 to 79 in); very cobbly silt loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; massive; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; few fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Nulato Hills - Continental Divide and Blackburn Hills Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 64.3534425, longitude -160.4381701, datum WGS84, UTM north 7137185.95 and UTM east 430550.44, zone 4, datum WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: aquic
Soil temperature regime: gelic
Mean annual soil temperature: -1 to 0 degrees C. (30 to 32 degrees F.)
Thickness of organic material: 15 to 28 cm (6 to 11 in)
Thickness of folistic epipedon: 15 to 28 cm (6 to 11 in)
Thickness of cambic horizon: 35 to 83 cm (14 to 33 in)
Depth to redoximorphic concentrations: 30 to 65 cm (12 to 26 in)
Depth to redoximorphic depletions: 30 to 65 cm (12 to 26 in)
Depth to reduced matrix: 25 to 40 cm (10 to 16 in)
Oi and Oa horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: highly decomposed material, slightly decomposed material
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: ultra acid to strongly acid (pH 3 to 5.5)
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam
Sand: 12 to 48 percent
Silt: 50 to 80 percent
Clay: 2 to 10 percent
Organic matter: 2 to 8 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to strongly acid (pH 3.5 to 5.5)
Bw horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam
Sand: 10 to 48 percent
Silt: 50 to 80 percent
Clay: 2 to 12 percent
Organic matter: 2 to 6 percent
Reaction class: strongly acid to slightly acid (pH 5.1 to 6.5)
Bg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 5 moist, 6 to 7 dry
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: silt loam or its gravelly analogues
Sand: 15 to 45 percent
Silt: 50 to 80 percent
Clay: 2 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent
Gravels: 10 to 45 percent
Cobbles: 5 to 20 percent
Organic matter: 1 to 4 percent
Reaction class: moderately acid to slightly acid (pH 5.6 to 6.5)
2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y
Value: 4 to 5 moist, 6 to 7 dry
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: silt loam or its gravelly or cobbly analogues
Sand: 15 to 48 percent
Silt: 50 to 80 percent
Clay: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent
Gravels: 5 to 30 percent
Cobbles: 5 to 30 percent
Organic matter: 0.4 to 3 percent
Reaction class: moderately acid to slightly acid (pH 5.6 to 6.5)
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 50 to 325 meters (165 to 1065 feet)
Parent material: mossy organic material over gravelly loamy alluvium derived from metamorphic and sedimentary rock
Landform: terraces
Slope: 1 to 5 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 300 to 500 mm (12 to 20 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -6 to -2 degrees C. (21 to 28 degrees F.)
Frost free period: 70 to 85 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Apun,
Kiuriruk,
Napaaktuk,
Niilgik, Shovelcreek,
Tikigak,
Tuttu,
Uliktuk, Umilgik, and
Ungalik soils.
Apun soils have permafrost, have aquic conditions starting between 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in), have a histic epipedon, have cryoturbation, lack a cambic horizon, have a coarse-loamy particle size class, and occur on saddles, mountainbases, footslopes, and terrace treads
Kiuriruk soils have permafrost, have aquic conditions starting between 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in), have a histic epipedon, lack a cambic horizon, have a coarse-silty particle size class, and occur on similar landforms on terrace treads
Napaaktuk soils have aquic conditions starting between 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in), have a mollic epipedon, lack a cambic horizon, have a coarse-loamy particle size class, have an aniso class, have a cryic soil temperature regime, have occasional, brief flooding, and occur on flood plains
Niilgik soils have permafrost, have aquic conditions starting between 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in), have a histic epipedon, have cryoturbation, lack a cambic horizon, have a coarse-silty particle size class, have an acid reaction class, and occur on mountainbases and footslopes
Shovelcreek soils lack aquic conditions, have an ochric epipedon, lack a cambic horizon, have a sandy-skeletal particle size class, have a cryic soil temperature regime, have rare flooding, and occur on flood plains
Tikigak soils lack aquic conditions, have a mollic epipedon, have a fine-loamy particle size class, and occur on side slopes and backslopes
Tuttu soils lack aquic conditions, have a mollic epipedon, have andic soil properties, have a coarse-loamy particle size class, have an acid reaction class, and occur on backslopes, footslopes, and mountainflanks, lower third
Uliktuk soils have aquic conditions starting between 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in), have an ochric epipedon, lack a cambic horizon, have a sandy-skeletal particle size class, have a cryic soil temperature regime, have frequent, long flooding, and occur on flood plains
Umilguk soils have a mollic epipedon, have a coarse-loamy particle size class, have a cryic soil temperature regime, and occur on nose slopes and mountainflanks, lower third
Ungalik soils have a paralithic contact at depths between 150 to 200 cm (60 to 79 in), lack aquic conditions, have a mollic epipedon, have a fine-loamy particle size class, have a cryic soil temperature regime, and occur on mountainflanks, center third
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: somewhat poorly drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: very high in the Oi and Oa horizons, and moderately high in the A, Bw, Bg, and Cg horizons
Permeability: rapid to very rapid in the Oi and Oa horizons, and moderate in the A, Bw, Bg, and Cg horizons
Runoff: very high
Flooding: very rare
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: Schreber's big red stem moss, black spruce, marsh Labrador tea, black crowberry, cloudberry, dwarf birch, sphagnum, polytrichum moss, Bigelow's sedge, bog blueberry, lingonberry, Flavocetraria cucullata
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 240, Nulato Hills-Southern Seward Peninsula Highlands. The series is of moderate extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nulato Hills - Continental Divide and Blackburn Hills Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:
Particle-size control section: 45 to 120 cm (18 to 47 in)
Folistic epipedon: 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in) (Oi and Oa horizons)
Cambic horizon: 20 to 80 cm (8 to 31 in) (A, Bw, and Bg horizons)
Redoximorphic depletions with chroma of 2 or less: 30 to 80 cm (12 to 31 in) (Bg horizon)
Redoximorphic concentrations: 30 to 80 cm (12 to 31 in) (Bg horizon)
Reduced matrix: 30 to 200 cm (12 to 79 in) (Bg and Cg horizons)
Aquic conditions: 30 to 200 cm (12 to 79 in) (Bg and Cg horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
User pedon ID: 2021AK180788
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.