LOCATION KENAI AK

Established Series
Rev. SR-DVP
8/95

KENAI SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy, mixed Typic Haplocryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Kenai silt loam -- forest (All colors are for moist soil)

Oi--3 to 2 1/2 inches; forest litter

Oe--2 1/2 inches to 0; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) mat of roots and decomposing plant parts; white and yellow mycelia; charcoal in lower part of horizon; pockets of white grains of sand size (probably volcanic ash); very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

E--0 to 2 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) silt loam; common medium distinct mottles of dark brown; weak very thin platy structure; very friable; roots common; very strongly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Bs1--2 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; thin layer of dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) in upper part of horizon; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; roots common; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)

Bs2--5 to 11 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; massive to very weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; roots common in upper part of horizon, few in lower part; medium acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

BC--11 to 16 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silt loam; large patches of dark yellowish brown; massive; very friable; few roots; many fine pores; medium to slightly acid; gradual boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

C1--16 to 22 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) coarse silt loam; moderate thin platy structure; very friable; few roots; medium acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

2C2--22 to 36 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) silty clay loam; somewhat pebbly; massive; firm; no roots; slightly acid. Many feet thick.

TYPE LOCATION: Kenai-Kasilof Area, Alaska. NW 1/4, SW 1/4, section 17, T. 5N., R. 10W., Seward Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 14 to 20 inches. Depth to the firm till substratum ranges from 10 to 24 inches.

An thin A horizon may be present. Hue is 7.5YR or 10YR, value 2 or 3, and chroma 1 or 2.

The E horizon has hue from 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2.

The Bs horizons have hue from 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value from 3 to 5, and chroma from 2 to 6. Texture of the 2C horizon is loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 35 percent. Hue ranges from 10YR to 5Y, value is 4 or 5, and chroma ranges from 1 to 3. Mottles are occasionally present. Consistence is firm or very firm. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Boulder Point, Cohoe, Darling, Kroto, Strandline, Swanson(T), Tuomi(T), and Whitsol series of the same family. Boulder Point, Darling, Tuomi, and Whitsol soils have loose or friable substratums. Cohoe soils have strata of sandy and sandy loam in the control section. Kroto and Strandline soils have less than 18 percent clay in the lower part of the control secton. Swanson soils have loess mantles thicker than 24 inches over till.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kenai soils are on nearly level to steep glacial moraines. Mean annual temperatures range from 35 to 40 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 18 to 55 inches, but in most areas is less than 25 inches.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow to rapid runoff. Permeability is moderate in the loess mantle and slow in the till.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly in forest consisting of white spruce and paper birch with some quaking aspen and cottonwood. Some areas are cleared and used for grasses, potatoes, and other vegetables.

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

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Anchorage, Alaska

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

REMARKS: The concept of the Kenai series is not well defined, especially in terms of substratum properties. More data are needed to adequately define the series concept or the series should be inactivated (jpm, 2/87). The typical pedon does not classify as a Spodosol. Field work is currently currently being done in the area to determine if the soil should be classified or a new pedon selected.(8-95).

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 10:21