LOCATION ABRA AZ+UT COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Abra gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 3 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; few fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 18 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few fine irregular calcium carbonate masses; 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Bk1--18 to 25 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common fine tubular pores; many medium and large irregular calcium carbonate masses; 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 18 inches thick)
Bk2--25 to 50 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; many medium and large irregular calcium carbonate masses; 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the upper part and about 10 percent in the lower part; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary (15 to 35 inches thick)
C--50 to 62 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0)
TYPE LOCATION: Yavapai County, Arizona; 2 1/4 miles north and 7/8 mile west of the southeast corner of Section 10, T 14 N, R 1 W; about 3 miles east of Santa Fe Railroad overpass and 1/10 mile south of alternate U.S. Highway 89 in Lonesome Valley.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in the soil moisture control section in some part during July-September and December-March. Driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 56 to 58 degrees F.
Rock fragments: Averages less than 15 percent in the control section, but can have up to 35 percent in any one horizon or horizons
Calcic horizon - Usually begins at depths of 10 to 20 inches, but ranges from 3 to 24 inches
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Organic matter: 1 to 2 percent
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3to 5 moist
Chroma: 2to 4, dry or moist
Texture: Loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam
B horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 5to 8 dry, 3to 6 moist
Chroma: 2to 4, dry or moist
Texture: Loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam (averages 18 to 30 percent clay in control section)
C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 5to 8 dry, 3to 6 moist
Chroma: 2to 4, dry or moist
Texture: Loam, fine sandy loam, and sandy clay loam, but includes strata that ranges from moderately fine lacustrine materials to gravelly sand
Effervescence: Ranges from noneffervescent to strongly effervescent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bighams (AZ),
Bowdish (CO),
Copeman (WY),
Creel (NM),
Darvey (NM),
Hernandez (NM),
Honlu (UT),
Kimera (CO),
Numa (CO),
Peachsprings (AZ), and
Xenmack (NM) series.
Copeman soils have accumulations of gypsum in the lower part and a mean annual soil temperature of less than 54 degrees F. Darvey and Hernandez soils contain less than 15 percent rock fragments in the control section. Bighams, Bowdish, Creel and Xenmack soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Kimera soils are drier in the soil moisture control section during the winter months. Honlu soils have mean annual soil temperatures between 47 and 51 degrees F. In addition, Creel, Darvey, and Numa soils are more moist in
May and June.
Pultney soils have 10YR and yellower hues, and have 10 to 15 percent exchangeable sodium in the Cky horizon.
Creel soils have soil temperatures of 54 to 59 degrees F. In addition, Creel, Darvey, and Numa soils are in the Western Great
Plains (LRR-G) and are more moist in May and June.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Abra soils are at elevations of 4600 to 6800 feet on nearly level to moderately steep fan terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. The regolith consists of mixed alluvium from granite, basalt, limestone, sandstone and schist. These soils are in a cool semiarid, continental climate, having a mean annual air temperature of 54 to 56 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches. Precipitation occurs as thunderstorms in July through September and as gentle rain or snow showers during the winter months. The frost- free period ranges from 120 to 180 days. In Colorado this soil has a frost-free period as short as 110 days, mean annual precipitation as much as 14 inches and a mean annual air temperature as low as 46 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Wineg, Balon, Poley, Showlow and Lynx soils in addition to the Pastura series. Wineg, Balon, Poley and Showlow soils have an argillic horizon. Lynx soils are formed in recent alluvial materials, have a mollic epipedon and do not have a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; Surface runoff is slow or medium; Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for livestock grazing with a few areas used for irrigated cropland. Native vegetation is grama grasses and wolftail with a few junipers in some places.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Yavapai County Area, Arizona and southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA is 34B, 35, and 38.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Western Yavapai County Area, Yavapai Co., Arizona; 1971.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 18 to 50 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.