LOCATION CASTANEDA               AZ

Established Series
Rev. WJ/PDC/RKS/HCD
04/2015

CASTANEDA SERIES


The Castaneda series consists of moderately deep to hardpan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from granite. Castaneda soils are on fan terraces with slopes of 1 to 7 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Argic Petrocalcids

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

A--0 to 1 inch; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 75 percent gravel with varnish on surface gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

BA--1 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)

Bt--3 to 9 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on ped faces and in pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)

Btk--9 to 17 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; many medium soft rounded calcium carbonate masses; strongly effervescent, 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bk--17 to 32 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/4) very gravelly loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; weakly cemented with calcium carbonate; many medium soft calcium carbonate masses; violently effervescent, 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)

2Bkm--32 to 41 inches; calcium carbonate cemented hardpan; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 40 inches thick)

3C--41 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine irregular pores; 65 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Mohave County, Arizona; latitude of 34 degrees, 35 minutes, 41 seconds north and a longitude of 114 degrees, 05 minutes, 58 seconds west; 1,730 feet north and 2,120 feet east of the southwest corner of section 36, T. 15 N., R. 18 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

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

Soil Temperature: 61 to 72 degrees F.

Depth to the calcic horizon: 9 to 20 inches

Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 20 to 40 inches


A and BA horizons

Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR

Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist

The BA horizon is absent in some pedons


Bt and Btk horizons

Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR

Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist

Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist

Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam (averages 20 to 35 percent clay)

Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent gravel


Bk horizon

Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR

Value: 4 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist

Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist

Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent gravel


C horizon

Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist

Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist

Texture: sand or loamy sand

Rock fragments: averages greater than 60 percent gravel

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cacique (NM), Foxtrot (NM), and Winerton (CA) series. The Cacique and Foxtrot series are intermittently moist for more than 20 days cumulative during July-September. In addition, the Cacique series does not have a calcic horizon above the pan. The Winerton series does not have a calcic horizon and has a sodium adsorption ratio of 13 to 30.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Castaneda soils are on fan terraces. Slopes range from 1 to 7 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from granite. Elevations range from 1,600 to 4,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 12 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 59 to 70 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 200 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arizo, Franconia, Goodsprings, Mohon, Poachie, Razorback and Wikieup series. Arizo, Franconia, Mohon and Poachie soils are very deep. Goodsprings soils are shallow to a hardpan. Razorback and Wikieup soils are shallow to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes big galleta, bush muhly, red brome, creosotebush, white bursage and flattop buckwheat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Arizona. This series is of moderate extent. MLRA is 30. The name is from a local ranch.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mohave County, Arizona; Soil survey of Mohave County, Arizona, Southern Part; 2005.

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

Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 1 inch (A horizon)

Argillic horizon - The zone from 3 to 17 inches (Bt, Btk horizons)

Calcic horizon - The zone from 9 to 32 inches (Btk, Bk horizons)

Petrocalcic horizon - The zone from 32 to 41 inches (2Bkm horizon)

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

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2005. ET


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.