LOCATION TELAY                   AK

Established Series
Rev. MHC/JPM/DLM
02/2022

TELAY SERIES

The Telay series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in a thin mantle of silty loess over friable to firm very gravelly glacial till. Telay soils are on mountains, hills, and till plains. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Telay silt loam on a 8 percent southeast facing slope under glandular birch scrub at 2900 feet elevation. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oe--2 inches to 0; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) mucky peat; partially decomposed moss, twigs, and root fibers; abrupt smooth boundary.

AE--0 to 2 inch; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

2Bw--2 to 11 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots of all sizes; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)

2C1--11 to 26 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very gravelly loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 30 percent subangular gravel and 5 percent subangular cobble; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual irregular boundary. (10 to 28 inches thick)

2C2--26 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very gravelly loam; massive; firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; 35 percent subangular gravel and 5 percent subangular cobble; moderately acid (pH 6.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Gulkana River Area, main stem, Alaska; about 13 miles north of Sourdough; the NW1/4 of the NW1/4 of section 28, T.11N., R.2W., Copper River Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the loess mantle ranges from 1 to 3 inches. The solum is 13 to 25 inches thick. The glacial till substratum has greater than 15 percent fine sand or coarser and 30 to 50 percent coarse fragments. Reaction is very strongly to moderately acid in the solum and moderately or slightly acid in the substratum.

The AE, E, or A horizon has moist value of 2 through 5; moist chroma of 1 through 3. Texture is silt loam, very fine sandy loam or loam.

The 2Bw horizons have moist hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; moist value of 3 or 4; moist chroma from 4 or 6. Texture is loam or sandy loam. Rock fragments range from 5 to 35 percent and include 5 to 35 percent subangular gravel and 0 to 10 percent subangular cobble.

The 2BC horizon (when present) has moist value of 3 or 4; moist chroma from 3 or 4.

The 2C horizons have moist hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; moist value of 3 or 4; moist chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loam or sandy loam. Rock fragments range from 35 to 50 percent and include 30 to 45 percent subangular gravel and 5 to 20 percent subangular cobble.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Basaltlake, Butchlake, Cuberant, Enentah, Garlet, Gromes, Soakpak, Storm, Targhee, and Telay series. Basaltlake soils have buried A horizons. Butchlake soils have presumed warmer summer soil temperatures. Cuberant and Targhee soils have hard bedrock between 20 40 inches from the mineral soil surface. Enentah soils have spodic material in the solum. Garlet soils have calcium carbonate in the solum. Gromes soils have clay loam textures in the profile. Soakpak soils need to be redefined. Storm soils have greater than 15 percent coarse fragments in the upper part of the solum.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Telay soils are on mountains and hills. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. These soils formed in a thin loess mantle overlying very gravelly glacial till deposits. The climate is subarctic continental. Mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is about 18 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow to rapid runoff. Moderate to moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Wildlife habitat. Native
vegetation is primarily mixed glandular birch and willow scrub.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gulkana River Area, Alaska, 1999.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile include: a cambic horizon from 2 to 11 inches; loamy-skeletal material from 11 to 60 inches and a weighted average control section of loamy-skeletal from 10 to 40 inches; a cryic temperature regime. Formerly classified as Cryochrepts.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.