T9 freshwater complexes occur where the upper edge of tidal influence meets a freshwater wetland over a gradual gradient.  Four of these complexes have been mapped:  Two lie near the mouth of the Kenai River, one where the river has cut across a peatland complex on an old marine terrace (T9LB3), and the other adjacent to a groundwater discharge area that subsided following the 1964 earthquake (T9SC).  The third lies near the mouth of the Kasilof River where the riverbank cuts into the edge of a peatland complex (T9K3); and the fourth lies on an alluvial fan at the head of Kachemak Bay (T9SA).

T9 corresponds with Vince and Snow's (1984) 'Inner Sedge Marsh zone 8'.  Vince and Snow estimate that this zone is inundated an average of once per summer (range 0-2 times for a duration of more than 5 days); by only the highest spring tides. 

T9 map component can be co-dominated by either red fescue (Festuca rubra) or circumpolar reedgrass, although manyflower sedge is frequently present as a nearly monotypic stand.  The single plot falling into a T9 map unit contained red fescue at 30% cover, with manyflower sedge at 20%.  Bluejoint grass and cicumpolar reedgrass were present at 15% and 10% cover respectively.  Other plants present at low abundance include marsh pea (Lathyrus palustris) , Alaska bog willow (Salix fuscescens) and marsh cinquefoil (Comarum palustre).

Click on the links above, under Plant Communities for descriptions of the individual freshwater wetland map components.