LOCATION TUSAYAN            AZ+UT  
Established Series
Rev. DRT/DJP/RLB
08/2007

TUSAYAN SERIES


The Tusayan series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium and eolian deposits from limestone and calcareous sandstone. Tusayan soils are on hills, plateaus and mesas and have slopes of 1 to 35 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches. The mean annual air temperature is about 53 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Ustic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Tusayan gravelly sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; 30 percent fine gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

A2--3 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)

Bk1--10 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent calcium carbonate-coated gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

Bk2--16 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 70 percent limestone and calcareous sandstone gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)

Ck--27 to 29 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; 55 percent limestone and calcareous sandstone gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

2R--29 inches; horizontally fractured calcareous sandstone; calcium carbonate pendants on undersides of fragments.

TYPE LOCATION: Coconino County, Arizona; 7.1 miles south of Meteor Crater; 3,000 feet east and 1,000 feet north of the southwest corner of section 14, T. 18 N., R. 12 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section from December-February and July-September. Driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: 54 to 58 degrees F.

Depth to bedrock: 20 to 40 inches

Rock fragments: Averages more than 35 percent in the control section; ranges from 20 to 80 percent gravel

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Reaction: Slightly or moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: Less than 40 percent, generally disseminated

Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: Loam, clay loam (20 to 28 percent clay)
Reaction: Slightly to strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: More than 40 percent as coatings on gravel, nodules and calcareous sedimentary gravel

Ck horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: Sandy loam, loam (10 to 25 percent clay)
Calcium carbonate equivalent: More than 40 percent as nodules and calcareous sedimentary gravel

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ildecarb (NM), Ladron (NM), Moab (UT), Puice (NM), Socorro (NM), Stormitt (UT), and Storsun (WY) series.
Ildecarb, Ladron, Moab, Storsun and Stormitt soils are very deep to bedrock.
Puice soils contain 5 to 15 percent gypsum in the particle size control section; channers and flagstone dominate the soil profile.
Socorro soils are derived from basalt bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tusayan soils are on hills, plateaus and mesas in slightly convex positions and have slopes of 1 to 35 percent. They formed in alluvium and eolian deposits from limestone and calcareous sandstone. Elevations are 4,700 to 6,500 feet. Mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches. Average January temperature is 31 degrees F., average July temperature is 71 degrees F., and the mean annual air temperature is 52 to 57 degrees F. Frost-free period is 120 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Boysag, Lynx, Poley and Winona soils. Boysag soils have argillic horizons and have bedrock within 20 inches. Lynx and Poley soils do not have bedrock within 40 inches. Winona soils have bedrock within 20 inches.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly blue grama, winterfat, threeawn, bottlebrush squirreltail, Mormon-tea, Bigelow sagebrush, rabbitbrush, prickleypear cactus, cholla cactus and annual forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona. The soil is moderately extensive. MLRA 35.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coconino County; Coconino County Area, Central Part, Arizona; 1980.

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

Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 10 inches (A1, A2 horizons)

Calcic horizon - The zone from 10 to 27 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.

Name pronounced Two'-say-yawn.

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL S75AZ-5-8.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.