LOCATION CLAYHOLE AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Torrifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Clayhole loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Cy1--2 to 11 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; 20 percent gypsum crystals; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 13 inches thick)
Cy2--11 to 21 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; many cicada nodules; 20 percent gypsum crystals; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
Cy3--21 to 60 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; 20 percent gypsum crystals; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Mohave County, Arizona, about 10 miles east of Moccasin; 200 feet east and 600 feet north of the southwest corner of section 29, T. 40 N., R. 3 W.
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. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 57 to 59 degrees F.
Organic matter: decreases irregularly with depth
Clay content: averages 18 to 27 percent in the control section
Rock fragments: less than 15 percent gravel
Depth to gypsum: 1 to 14 inches. The content of gypsum plus calcium carbonate averages less than 40 percent by weight.
Carbonates: 5 to 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent
A and C horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Battlerock (CO), Binton (WY), Boysen (WY), Jocity (AZ), Lostwells (WY), Toddler (UT), and Youngston (WY) soils. Battlerock soils have hues yellower than 7.5YR. Jocity soils do not have layers with high amounts of gypsum crystals. Binton, Boysen, Lostwells, and Youngston soils have soil temperatures of 47 to 50 degrees F. and have a higher spring rainfall component. Toddler soils are dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section from July - September.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Clayhole soils are on alluvial fans at elevations of 4,400 to 5,500 feet. These soils formed in alluvium from gypsiferous shales. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 7 to 11 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 55 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free period is 165 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Grieta, Pennell and the competing Jocity soils. All these soils lack high amounts of gypsum in the profile. In addition, Grieta soils have an argillic horizon and Pennell soils are shallow to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Clayhole soils are used for livestock grazing. The present vegetation is galleta, rabbitbrush, and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona. This series is of moderate extent. The name is from a local valley. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coconino County, Arizona; Soil survey of Coconino County Area, Arizona, North Kaibab Part; 1991.
Remarks: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Entisol feature - the absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons