OCATION SLIKOK AK

Established Series
Rev. DBS-SR-JPM
11/85

SLIKOK SERIES

The Slikok series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils formed in ash-influenced eolian and alluvial materials over firm alluvium and glacial till. Slikok soils are on floodplains, along muskeg borders, and in low-lying areas adjacent to small lakes. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 34 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is about 22 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, acid Histic Cryaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Slikok muck - on a 5 percent slope under forest vegetation. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oe--13 to 11 inches; black (10YR 2/1) mat of moderately decomposed organic materials; few coarse wood fragments; many roots; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

Oa--11 inches to 0; black (10YR 2/1) well decomposed organic materials; few coarse wood fragments; common roots; thin strata of silty material; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)

A1--0 to 3 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) mucky silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

A2--3 to 6 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) mucky silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

A3--6 to 36 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) mucky silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (combined A horizons: 8 to 26 inches thick)

AC--26 to 41 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mucky silt loam; massive; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 48 inches thick)

2C--41 to 60 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly silt loam; massive; firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobble; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Yentna Area, Alaska; in the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 7, T.13N., R.12W., Seward Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The organic mat ranges from 5 to 15 inches in thickness. The upper part of the A horizon has an organic matter content of up to 15 percent and may be part of the histic epipedon. The average base saturation of the soil profile is less than 50 percent (NH4OAC). The control section has less than 15 percent fine sands or coarser, and less than 18 percent clay. Cobbles and stones, up to 20 percent, may occur on the soil surface. The pH throughout the profile is less than 5.5 (1:1,H2O).

The A horizons have hue from 5YR to 10YR; value and chroma moist from 1 to 3. Texture is commonly mucky silt loam or silt loam.

The AC horizon is dominantly mucky silt loam, although some pedons are stratified with thin lenses of silt loam and sand.

The 2C horizons have texture of silt loam, sandy loam, or sand. Content of coarse fragments ranges from 25 to 55 percent and includes gravel, cobble, and stones.

COMPETING SERIES: These include the Foreland, Jacobsen, and Torpedo Lake series of the same subgroup. Foreland soils are sandy-skeletal. Jacobsen soils have more than 35 percent stones throughout the control section. Torpedo Lake soils have more the 18 percent clay in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Slikok soils are on floodplains, along muskeg borders, and in low-lying areas adjacent to lakes. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent, but are generally less than 2 percent. Slikok soils formed in mixed alluvial and eolian materials overlying firm, slowly permeable alluvium and glacial till. The friable eolian/alluvial material is ash-influenced. The mean annual temperature ranges from 33 to 36 degrees F. The average annual precipitation ranges from 16 to 28 inches.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Moderate permeability in the upper horizons and slow permeability in the underlying material. The water table is at or near the surface throughout the year. Flooding ranges from none to frequent.

USE AND VEGETATION: Natural vegetation is forest dominated by black spruce and willows with ground cover of moss, grass, horsetail, and sedges. A few areas are used for hay and pasture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Anchorage, Alaska

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

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include: histic epipedon from 13 to 0 inches and aquic moisture regime; cryic temperature regime; coarse-silty particle size from 0 to 40 inches.

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 10:25