LOCATION KALIFONSKY AK

Established Series
Rev. CEF
8/95

KALIFONSKY SERIES

The Kalifonsky series consists of very poorly drained soils that formed in silty loess and colluvium underlain by very gravelly glacio-fluvial deposits. Kalifonsky soils are in depressional areas adjacent to lakes or muskegs. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 34 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 23 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty over sandy or sandy-skeletal,
mixed, acid Typic Cryaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Kalifonsky silt loam -- on a 2 percent concave south facing slope under black spruce forest. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oe--4 inches to 0; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) mat of decomposing organic materials; many roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)

A--0 to 2 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) silt loam; weak very fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; few fine black concretions; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Cg1--2 to 9 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) silt loam; massive; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium distinct brown (10YR 4/3) mottles; few roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

Cg2--9 to 22 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) silt loam; massive; nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; few streaks and patches of olive brown; few roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)

2C--22 to 60 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) very gravelly sand; singlegrain; loose few subrounded stones; strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Susitna Valley Area, Alaska; 200 feet NE of the SW corner of section 17, T.26 N., R.6 W., Seward Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The silty mantle ranges from 15 to 30 inches thick over very gravelly sand and very gravelly loamy sand. In places, a few stones occur in the lower part of the silty deposits. Reaction is less than 5.5 (H20,1:1) throughout the control section.

The A horizon has value of 2 through 4 and chroma of 2 through 6.

The C horizon has hue from 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or less. Brownish mottles and streaks with chroma of more than 2 make up more than 40 percent of the mass.

The 2C horizon is very gravelly sand or loamy sand with lenses of very fine sandy loam. Coarse fragment content is greater than 35 percent gravel and cobble.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Nadina series. Nadina soils have pH greater than 5.5 (H2O,1:1) in part of the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kalifonsky soils are in broad, nearly level depressions or in areas that occupy intermediate positions between well drained uplands and lakes or muskegs. The soils formed in silty loess and colluvium underlain by very gravelly glacio-fluvial deposits. The mean annual temperature ranges from 32 to 36 degrees F. The average annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 32 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Bodenburg, Chulitna, Doroshin, Knik, Soldatna, and Salamatof soils. Bodenburg and Knik soils are well drained and are seldom saturated. Chulitna and Soldatna soils are well drained and have a reddish B horizon. Doroshin and Salamatof are very poorly drained organic soils.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Slow runoff. Moderate permeability in the silty mantle and rapid in the underlying material.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly in native vegetation. The dominant cover is black spruce forest with a ground cover of mosses and low shrubs.

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

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Anchorage, Alaska

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kenai-Kasilof Area, Alaska. 1960.

REMARKS:

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.

Contact: Mike Gracz Kenai Watershed Forum  PO Box 15301 Fritz Creek, AK  99603 907-235-2218

04 May 2007 10:20