LOCATION SMITHFHA AK
Established Series
Rev. GH/DM
02/2022
SMITHFHA SERIES
Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: coarse-loamy eolian deposits
Landform: plains, escarpments, and hills
Slopes: 0 to 85 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 30 inches.
Mean annual temperature: 29 to 43 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Typic Dystrocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Smithfha loamy very fine sand - on a 14 percent slope under forest vegetation. (All colors for moist soil)
Oe--0 to 3 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moderately decomposed plant material; common to medium roots; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
E--3 to 4 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loamy very fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to medium roots and few coarse roots; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bw1--4 to 8 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) loamy very fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to medium roots and few coarse roots; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 35 inches thick)
Bw2--8 to 18 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy very fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine to coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Eb--18 to 19 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy very fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bwb--19 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy very fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine to fine roots; common medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) skeletans; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C--29 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loamy very fine sand; single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Anchorage Area, Alaska, in Kincaid Park in the SE 1/4 of the NW 1/4, section 5, T.12 N., R.4 W., Tyonek A1NE 1:25,000 quad, Seward Meridian; UTM north 6783746 and UTM east 0660516, zone 5.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the coarse-loamy eolian material: greater than 60 inches
Solum thickness: 15 to 50 inches
contain layers of ash.
O horizon:
Matrix color: 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 2 to 4; chroma of 2 to 4
Reaction class: very strongly acid or strongly acid
E and Eb horizons:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture: loamy very fine sand, very fine sandy loam, silt loam
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction class: moderately acid or slightly acid
Bw or Bwb horizons:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 6
Texture: loamy very fine sand, very fine sandy loam, silt loam
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction class: moderately acid or slightly acid
C horizon:
Matrix color: has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: loamy very fine sand, sand, fine sand
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction class: moderately acid or slightly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Lake Janee,
Hanks, and McCloud series. Lake Janee soils have 20 to 35 percent cobbles and stones throughout the profile. Hanks soils lack albic horizons. McCloud soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: coarse-loamy eolian deposits
Landform: plains, escarpments, and hills
Slopes: 0 to 85 percent
Mean annual temperature: 29 to 43 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 30 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include
Anchorpark soils. Anchorpark soils are somewhat excessively drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very low to medium runoff. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high to very high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife habitat, recreation, and urban development. Native vegetation is paper birch and white spruce.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 224 Cook Inlet Lowlands, South-central Alaska. The series is of small extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Anchorage Area, Alaska 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile are:
Albic horizons: from 3 to 4 inches and 18 to 19 inches
Cambic horizons: from 4 to 18 inches and 19 to 29 inches
Temperature regime: cryic
ADDITIONAL DATA:
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.