LOCATION KAMATO AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Kamato fine sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
An--O to 6 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine vesicular and irregular pores; violently effervescent; very slightly saline (ECe 2 dS/m) and slightly sodic (SAR 9); very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
BAnz--6 to 11 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; violently effervescent; moderately saline (ECe 13 dS/m) and strongly sodic (SAR 101); very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual wavy boundary. (O to 5 inches thick)
Btknzl--11 to 26 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; many prominent clay skins on faces of peds and lining pores; many medium and coarse, vertically oriented, cylindrical, soft accumulations of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; strongly saline (ECe 43 dS/m) and strongly sodic (SAR 108); very strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Btknz2--26 to 34 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine tubular pores; many prominent clay skins on faces of peds and lining pores; few medium and coarse, vertically oriented, cylindrical, soft accumulations of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; strongly saline (ECe 42 dS/m) and strongly sodic (SAR 100); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary.
Btknzy--34 to 60 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; hard, very friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay skins on faces of peds and lining pores; many fine and medium, irregular, soft accumulations of calcium carbonate; 6 percent fine and medium, rounded, gypsum crystals; violently effervescent; strongly saline (ECe 25 dS/m) and strongly sodic (SAR 90); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8). (Combined thickness of the B horizons is 22 to 59 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Pinal County, Arizona; about 1 mile south of Sun Lakes, on the Gila River Indian Reservation; 1300 feet north and 600 feet west of the southeast corner of section 6, T. 3 S., R. 5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture - Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July-September and December-February. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature - 72 to 78 degrees F.
Solum Thickness - 32 to 60 inches
Salinity- Slightly to strongly saline
Sodicity- Slightly to strongly sodic
A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 4, dry or moist
Reaction: mildly alkaline to very strongly alkaline
B horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: Clay loam, clay, sandy clay
Gypsum: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kamato soils are on relict basin floors. Slopes range from O to 5 percent. Elevations range from 950 to 2000 feet. They formed in alluvium from acid and basic igneous rocks. The mean annual precipitation is 7 to 10 inches occurring as summer thunderstorms and gentle winter rain. Mean annual air temperature is 69 to 75 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 240 to 325 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Denure, Laveen, Shontik, Tatai, Wintersburg and the similar Casa Grande soil. Denure and Laveen soils are coarse-loamy and Shontik and Tatai soils have buried paleosols at moderate depths. Wintersburg soils do not have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; slow or very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and irrigated cropland. Vegetation is mainly seepweed, desert saltbush, linear-leaf saltbush, wolfberry and scattered mesquite.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. The soils of this series are not extensive. MLRA 40.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona, Parts of Maricopa and Pinal Counties; 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 inches (An horizon)
Natric horizon - the zone from 11 to 34 inches (Btknz1, Btknz2 horizons)
SAR- exceeds 13
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Sample S84AZ-13-1
Gallup BIA Lab Data 278-56-1