LOCATION VALENA AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Valena sandy loam - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bw--2 to 7 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2Bt--7 to 12 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 5 percent gravel; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
2R--12 inches; granite.
TYPE LOCATION: Mohave County, Arizona; 6 miles north and 3 miles west of Truxton; 113 degrees, 37 minutes, 6 seconds west longitude and 35 degrees, 32 minutes, 7 seconds north latitude. About 2,000 feet west and 1,700 feet north of the southeast corner of section 12, T. 23 N., R. 13 W.
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. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 54 to 57 degrees F.
Rock Fragments: less than 25 percent gravel composed of more than 10 percent 2 to 5 millimeter fragments
Depth to bedrock: 10 to 20 inches
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Effervescence: noneffervescent or slightly effervescent
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
2Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam (averages 18 to 35 percent clay)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arabrab (CO), Atarque (NM), Pescado (NM), Simitarq (NM), Urraca (NM), Uva (NM), and Verite (AZ) series. Arabrab and Atarque soils have a mean annual soil temperature of less than 54 degrees F. and formed on sandstone, shale, and mudstone. Pescado soils are inactive. Simitarq soils have a particle-size control section containing greater than 35 percent clay. Uva and Verite soils have a Typic ustic moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Valena soils are on mesas and plateaus at elevations of 4,800 to 5,500 feet. They formed in alluvium from igneous and metamorphic rock. Slopes range from 1 to 35 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 18 inches. The mean annual air temperature is about 48 to 55 degrees F. The frost-free period is 135 to 165 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Carri and the Taine series. The Carri soil is moderately deep to granite. The Taine soil is clayey-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Valena soils are used for livestock grazing, wood production, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes turbinella oak, Stansbury cliffrose, sideoats grama, desert needlegrass, blue grama, banana yucca and an overstory of Utah juniper and singleleaf pinyon.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Arizona. This series is of moderate extent. MLRA is 38.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mohave County, Arizona. Soil survey of Mohave County, AZ, Central Part; 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 7 to 12 inches (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact - the boundary at 12 inches (2R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
Updated competing series section.