LOCATION TUTKA                   AK

Established Series
Rev. DVP/JDW/DLM
02/2022

TUTKA SERIES

Depth class: very shallow and shallow
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: silty mantle of volcanic ash over glacial till underlain by bedrock
Landform: mountain slopes
Slopes: range from 8 to 120 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 70 140 inches.
Mean annual temperature: 35 to 39 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, amorphic Lithic Humicryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Tutka silt loam, on an east facing, 73 percent slope under Sitka spruce forest at 550 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated. When described, the soil was moist throughout).

Oe1--0 to 2 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mucky peat; many very fine and fine roots; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

Oe2--2 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) mucky peat (decaying log); few very fine, fine and medium roots; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of O horizons is 1 to 7 inches)

E--7 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; weakly smeary; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

Bhs--9 to 11 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) mucky silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; moderately smeary; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt smooth boundary.

Eb--11 to 13 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; weakly smeary; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of E horizons is 2 to 5 inches)

2Bhsb--13 to 21 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) very gravelly mucky silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, common very fine, fine, and medium roots; moderately smeary; 40 percent gravel 10 percent cobble; very strongly acid (pH 5.0). (combined thickness of Bs and Bhs horizons is 4 to 16 inches)

R--21 inches; bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Lower Kenai Peninsula Area, Alaska; about 2 miles south of Nanwalek, feet south and 100 feet east of the NW corner of section 11, T. 10S., R. 16W., Seward Meridian; USGS Seldovia B-6 quadrangle; lat. 59 degrees 17 minutes 10 seconds N. and long. 151 degrees 55 minutes 36 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The mean annual soil temperature is 36 to 40 degrees F.
Particle size control section: dominated by andic properties
Ash mantle thickness: 5 to 16 inches
Solum thickness: soil surface to bedrock
Depth to bedrock ranges: 6 to 20 inches from mineral soil surface
Coarse fragment content (weighted average): 20 to 30 percent

O horizon:
Matrix color: value of 2 to 4; chroma of 2 to 4
Reaction class: extremely acid to very strongly acid

E and Eb horizons:
Matrix color: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam, very fine sandy loam
Smeariness: weakly or moderately smeary throughout
Reaction class: extremely acid to very strongly acid

The Bhs horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: mucky silt loam, mucky very fine sandy loam with 0 to 14 percent gravel
Total organic carbon content: is presumed to be 6 to 12 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to very strongly acid

The 2Bhsb horizon:
Matrix color: hue of 2.5YR or 5YR value of 3 or 4, chroma of 0 to 3
Texture: mucky silt loam, mucky very fine sandy loam modified by 15 to 50 percent coarse fragments; 10 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobble
Total organic carbon content: is presumed to be 6 to 12 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to very strongly acid

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Nakochna series. Nakochna soils cryoturbation properties.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: silty mantle of volcanic ash over glacial till underlain by bedrock
Landform: mountain slopes
Slopes: range from 8 to 120 percent
Elevations are 20 to 1500 feet
Climate: maritime with mild winters and cool summers
Mean January temperature: 23 degrees F.
Mean July temperature: 52 degrees F.
Mean annual temperature: 35 to 39 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 70 140 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Chenega, Jakolof, Koyuktolik, Kasitsna, and Seldovia soils. Chenega soils do not have spodic horizons, are sandy-skeletal, and are on floodplains. Jakolof soils are on stream terraces. Koyuktolik soils are formed in organic matter accumulated in depressions. Kasitsna soils occur on glacial moraines and in complex with Seldovia and Tutka soils on mountain slopes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low to high runoff. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, subsistence, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Tutka soils have native vegetation of Sitka spruce, devils club, alder, fern, and bluejoint grass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 223 Cook Inlet Mountains. Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lower Kenai Peninsula Area, Alaska. 1998.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile include:
Albic horizons: from 0 to 2, and 4 to 6 inches (E, and Eb).
Spodic horizons: from 2 to 4, and 6 to 14 inches (Bhs and 2Bhsb).
Presumed total organic carbon: 2 to 12 percent (Bhs and 2Bhsb horizons; 7 to 11 and 17 to 21 inches
Bedrock: less than 20 inches from mineral soil surface.
Temperature regime: cryic.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.