LOCATION CAZADOR AZInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Torrertic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cazador clay loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine vesicular and many fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, 7.5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
AB--2 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
B1--9 to 30 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong medium and coarse wedges parting to strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct pressure faces; disseminated calcium carbonate; violently effervescent, 6.5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
B2--30 to 50 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong medium and coarse wedges parting to strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct pressure faces; disseminated calcium carbonate; 2 percent gravel; violently effervescent, 6.5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of B1 and B2 horizons is 40 to 50 inches)
Bk--50 to 60 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common soft medium calcium carbonate masses; 3 percent gravel; violently effervescent, 6.5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Cochise County, Arizona; located about 2,800 feet north and 200 feet west of the southeast corner of section 10, Township 21 S., Range 28 E.; Pedregosa Mountain West topography map; latitude 31 degrees, 36 minutes, 44 seconds North and longitude 109 degrees, 28 minutes, 35 seconds West.
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: 59 to 64 degrees F.
Soil cracking: many vertical cracks 0.25 to 2 inches wide from the surface to 30 inches or more
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Clay content: greater than 35 percent in the control section
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, clay, silty clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
B horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: clay, clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: clay, clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ashcreek (AZ) and Phantom (TX) series. Ashcreek soils have no accumulation of calcium carbonate and a pH of slightly acid to neutral. Phantom soils do not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulations.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Cazador soils are in the Chihuahuan desert on alluvial fans and flood plains at elevations of 4,400 to 6,200 feet. Slope ranges from 0 to 10 percent. These soils formed from mixed alluvium. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December and January. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F. The frost-free period is 160 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blacktail, Pyeatt, Castledome, Denab, Lesliecreek, and Terrarossa soils. Blacktail and Terrarossa soils also have clay content greater than 35 percent and are on fan terraces or hills. Pyeatt and Lesliecreek soils have less than 35 percent clay. Castledome and Denab are shallow to tuff.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes tobosa, blue grama, sideoats grama, vine mesquite, creeping muhly, giant sacaton, cane beardgrass and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Arizona portion of the Chihuahuan desert. MLRA is 41. Cazador soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona; Soil Survey of Cochise County, Arizona, Douglas-Tombstone Part; 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 9 inches (A and AB horizons)
Torrertic feature - Wedge shape aggregates and pressures faces from a depth of 9 to 50 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.