LOCATION COPPERCAN AZ

Established Series
Rev. DWD/CRP
10/2014

COPPERCAN SERIES

The Coppercan series consists of shallow to weathered bedrock, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum from dacitic tuff. Coppercan soils are on pediments, hills and mountains. Slopes range from 5 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 20 inches (508 mm) and the mean annual air temperature is about 60 degrees F (15.6 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Aridic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Coppercan very cobbly sandy loam - recreation and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/3) very cobbly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, 15 percent cobble; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 5 percent cobble; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 2 to 7 inches or 5 to 18 cm)

Bt1--6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and very plastic; isolated pockets of common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; many faint and few distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 30 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.

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; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint and distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 30 percent gravel; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 7 to 14 inches or 18 to 36 cm)

2Ct--16 to 19 inches (41 to 48 cm); reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; many faint clay films coating coarse fragments; 30 percent gravel; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches or 0 to 10 cm thick)

2Cr--19 to 24 inches (48 to 61 cm); weathered dacitic tuff; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches or 8 to 30 cm thick)

2R--24 inches (61 cm); hard, unweathered dacitic tuff.

TYPE LOCATION: Coronado National Memorial; located at a latitude of 31 degrees, 20 minutes, 15 seconds North and 110 degrees, 14 minutes, 45 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 (15 to 17.8 degrees C).

Surface rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent

Particle-Size Control Section (weighted average):
Clay Content: 35 to 60 percent
Rock Fragments: 5 to 35 percent
Depth to Weathered Bedrock: 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 cm)
Depth to Unweathered Bedrock: 15 to 30 inches (38 to 76 cm)
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Mollic epipedon: 7 to 16 inches (18 to 41 cm) thick and includes the upper part of the argillic horizon

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 3, dry or moist

Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 to 5 dry, 3 to 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: clay, sandy clay, clay loam, sandy clay loam

Cr horizon
Bedrock is soft granite

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Coppercan soils are on pediments, hill, and mountain side slopes. Slope ranges from 5 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum from dacitic tuff and elevation ranges from 4,000 to 6,000 feet (1219 to 1828.8 m). The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 23 inches (406 to 584 mm) 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 (13.9 to 16.7 degrees C). The frost-free period is 150 to 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canquya and Yarbam soils. Canquya and Yarbam soils do not have an argillic horizon. Also, Yarbam soils have a calcium carbonate equivalent of 20 to 40 percent.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability; medium to rapid runoff.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for recreation and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes sideoats grama, green sprangletop, Palmer agave, sotol, bullgrass, plains lovegrass, Lehmans lovegrass, Mexican blue oak, Emory oak.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and Southern Arizona; Coppercan soils are of limited extent. MLRAs 38 and 41.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona; Soil survey of Coronado National Memorial; 1996.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm) (A1, A2, Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 6 to 16 inches (15 to 41 cm) (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Paralithic contact - the boundary at 19 inches (48 cm) (Cr horizon)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th Edition, 2014.

Revised for the correlation of AZ661, 12/2008, WWJ
Revised for the correlation of AZ675, 5/2009, WWJ
Update and revisions for the correlation of SDJR - MLRA 38 - Turquoise-Coppercan complex, 5 to 45 percent slopes, Sept 2014, LJG2

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.