Soil series profile
Kichatna soil series
Kichatna is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 77,535 acres in 3 counties in AK. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 57% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.0 very strongly acidic · range 5.0–5.5
- Mapped area
- 78k acres in 3 counties, 1 state
Typical Kichatna profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (Oi) | Slightly decomposed plant material | 5.0 | Not reported | Not reported | 60% |
| 2–4 in (E) | Silt loam | 5.0 | 5% | 33% | 6% |
| 4–11 in (Bs) | Silt loam | 6.1 | 5% | 33% | 3% |
| 11–60 in (2C) | Very gravelly loamy coarse sand | 6.5 | 1% | 80% | 1% |
What this means
What Kichatna soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Kichatna soils is very strongly acidic: pH 5.0 (most land between 5.0 and 5.5). Most vegetables and lawn grasses do best around 6.0 to 7.0, so lime is often needed; blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons like it as it is.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Kichatna acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (100% of mapped Kichatna acres).
100% of mapped Kichatna acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
57% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 100% of the acres in mapped Kichatna soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Kichatna soil is found
Mapped acres
Kichatna is mapped in Alaska.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | 43,889 | 0.9% |
| Anchorage Municipality, AK | 19,490 | 3.4% |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK | 14,156 | 0.2% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Kichatna acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Kichatna acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 2–55% (median 6%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 6%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 100.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 56.6% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 43.4% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- All map unit components named Kichatna (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 77,535 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Kichatna components. The profile comes from the single largest Kichatna component. Full methodology.