LOCATION CHIRICAHUA AZ+NM
Established Series
Rev. MLR
10/2013
CHIRICAHUA SERIES
The Chiricahua series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from granitic and metamorphic rock. Chiricahua soils are on pediments, hills, and mountains and have slopes of 1 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches (356 mm) and the mean annual air temperature is about 62 degrees F (16.7 degrees C).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Chiricahua very cobbly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches and 3 to 8 cm thick)
BA--2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine irregular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches and 0 to 8 cm thick)
Bt1--4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) gravelly clay, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; common fine irregular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches and 10 to 18 cm thick)
Bt2--10 to 16 inches (25 to 41 cm); reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) gravelly clay, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak moderate fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; few pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt irregular boundary. (4 to 7 inches and 10 to 18 cm thick)
2Cr--16 to 21 inches (41 to 53 cm); weathered granite; common reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay coatings in joints; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches and 13 to 25 cm thick)
2R--21 inches (53 cm); granite
TYPE LOCATION: Cochise County, Arizona; about 3 miles southwest of Dragoon; 1,700 feet north and 200 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 27, T. 16 S., R. 22 E. Latitude 32 degrees, 0 minutes, 40 seconds N. longitude 110 degrees, 4 minutes, 41 seconds W., NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July-September and December-March. Driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Rock Fragments: Averages 5 to 35 percent in the control section
Soil Temperature: 59 to 69 degrees F (15 to 20.6 degrees C).
Depth to weathered bedrock: 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 cm); unweathered bedrock is at 20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 cm)
Organic matter content: More than 1 percent in the surface
A horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 2 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline
Bt horizons
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 7, dry or moist
Chroma: 2 to 8, dry or moist
Texture: clay, clay loam, sandy clay (35 to 60 percent clay)
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chiricahua soils are on pediments, hills, and mountains at elevations of 3,000 to 5,600 feet (914 to 1,707 meters). These soils formed in alluvium from granite, quartz monzonite, quartzite, granodiorite, phyllite, and gneiss. Slopes range from 1 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches (305 to 406 mm). The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 67 degrees F (13.9 to 19.4 degrees C). The frost-free period is 180 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Romero soils. Romero soils do not have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Chiricahua soils are used for livestock grazing, homesite development, recreation, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is blue, slender, Rothrock, sideoats, hairy and black grama, threeawn, curly mesquite, plains bristlegrass, cane beardgrass, ocotillo, agave, whitethorn, sotol, snakeweed, burroweed, guajillo, and beargrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico. This series is extensive. Total extent is about 125,000 acres. LRR-D, MLRAs are 38, 40, and 41.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County (Gila Project), Arizona; 1936.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm) (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 4 to 16 inches (5 to 41 cm) (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 16 inches (41 cm) (2Cr horizon)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 21 inches (53 cm) (2R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010
Revised for the correlation of AZ661, 12/2008, WWJ
Revised for the correlation the SDJR - MLRA 41 - Brunkcow-Chiricahua-Andrada complex, 3 to 20 percent slopes project, September 2013, LJG2
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.