LOCATION AZURE                   AZ

Established Series
WJ/PH/RKS/DWD/HCD
04/2015

AZURE SERIES

The Azure series consists of shallow, somewhat excessively drained soils on hills. These soils formed in mixed alluvium from alluvium from igneous and metamorphic rocks. Slopes range from 5 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 11 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 60 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Typic Haplargids

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

A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bt1--2 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)

Bt2--6 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

2Cr--10 to 28 inches; weathered granite; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)

2R--28 inches; granite.

TYPE LOCATION: Mohave County, Arizona; 2 miles northwest of Lost Cabin Spring; about 930 feet north and 50 west of the southeast corner of section 10, T. 24. N., R. 21 W. Gila and Salt River Base Meridian. Latitude 35 degrees, 28 minutes, 41 seconds north and longitude 114 degrees, 30 minutes, 8 seconds west.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section for 20 to 40 days cumulative during July - September and December - February. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 59 to 64 degrees F.

Rock fragments: Averages more than 35 percent in the control section. A surface layer containing 20 to 50 percent gravel is common.

Depth to weathered bedrock: 10 to 20 inches

Depth to unweathered bedrock: 20 to 30 inches

Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline

Calcium carbonate: slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent throughout. 3 to 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.

Clay content: averages 12 to 17 percent in the control section


A horizon

Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR

Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist

Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist


Bt horizon

Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR

Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist

Chroma: 4, 5, or 6, dry or moist

Texture: sandy loam, sandy clay loam (5 to 18 percent clay)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Anklam (AZ), Botleg (T) (NV), and Straycow (T) (NV) series. All of these soils average more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. In addition, the Anklam soils do not have a lithic contact and the Botleg and Straycow soils are moist for less than 20 days cumulative between July and October in the soil moisture control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Azure soils are on hills at elevations of 2,200 to 3,500 feet. These soils formed in alluvium from granitic and metamorphic material. Slopes range from 5 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F. The frost-free period is 200 to 230 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dixaleta and Vado soils. These soils do not have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Azure soils are used for livestock grazing, recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. The present vegetation is Anderson wolfberry, blackbrush, bush muhly, desert globemallow, threeawn and Mohave Yucca.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Arizona. This series is of small extent. MLRA is 30.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mohave County, Arizona; Soil survey of Mohave County, Arizona, 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 2 to 10 inches (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)

Paralithic contact - The boundary at 10 inches (2Cr horizon)

Lithic contact - The boundary at 28 inches (2R horizon)

Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.