LOCATION LEMMON             AZ
Established Series
Rev. DJB/PDC
11/2006

LEMMON SERIES


The Lemmon series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed on hills and mountains. They formed from alluvium and colluvium dominantly derived from schist. Slope is 15 to 35 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 22 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Lemmon flaggy loam - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 2 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) slightly decomposed forest litter of ponderosa pine needles and bark, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)

A--2 to 3 inch; black (10YR 2/1) flaggy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent flagstones and 5 percent channers; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

E--3 to 9 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) channery loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent channers and 5 percent flagstones; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

E/B--9 to 22 inches; (E) pink (7.5YR 7/4) channery loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; (B) small blocks of reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; common medium roots; common medium tubular pores; common distinct organic coatings lining pores and on faces of peds; 15 percent channers; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)

Bt--22 to 34 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few medium roots; few medium tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common faint organic coatings lining pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)

Cr--34 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 7/4) weathered mica-schist, reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) moist; few coarse roots in fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Pima County, Arizona: Located about 1400 feet south and 1250 feet west of the northeast corner of section 19, T.14.S., R.18.E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - September and December - March. Driest during May and June. Typic ustic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 47 to 56 degrees F.

Depth to weathered bedrock: 20 to 40 inches

Reaction: slightly acid to strongly acid

Organic matter: 1 to 2 percent

Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent schist flagstones and/or channers

A horizon
Value: 2 through 4 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist

E horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam

Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: clay, sandy clay (40 to 55 percent clay)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amos (AZ), Arriba (NM), Jacks (AZ) and Lama (NM) series. Amos soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 40 to 60 inches. Arriba soils have hue of 2.5Y or 10YR and an aridic ustic soil moisture regime due to a lower rainfall component. Jacks soils have a lithic contact of sandstone at depths of 20 to 50 inches. Lama soils are very deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Lemmon soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes range from 15 to 35 percent. They formed in alluvium and colluvium derived dominantly from schist. Elevation ranges from 5,400 to 8,100 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 24 inches. The mean annual air temperature is about 45 to 54 degrees F. The frost-free period is 140 to 170 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Spudrock series. Spudrock soils do not have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Lemmon soils are used for timber production, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes Ponderosa pine, silverleaf oak, Arizona white oak, Texas bluestem, sideoats grama. bullgrass, prairie junegrass, sacahuista, manzanita and California bricklebush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. This series is not extensive. MLRA is 41.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pima County, Arizona; Soil survey of Pima County, Arizona, Eastern Part; 1993.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from 2 to 3 inches (A horizon)

Argillic horizon - The zone from 22 to 34 inches (Bt horizon)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.