LOCATION FRIANA AZ+NM

Established Series
Rev. JAW/YHH
01/2023

FRIANA SERIES

The Friana series consists of deep, moderately well and well drained soils that formed in mixed volcanic sediments. Friana soils are on basin floors and have slopes of 0 to 3 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 22 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Vertic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Friana clay loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to strong medium granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots; common very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)

BA--3 to 9 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong fine angular and subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common fine roots; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bt1--9 to 23 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist and dry clay; weak fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; continuous moderately thick clay films on ped faces; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)

Bt2--23 to 28 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist and dry clay; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores, common very fine irregular pores; continuous moderately thick clay films on ped faces; about 10 percent cobblestones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)

Bt3--28 to 32 inches; mottled yellowish red (5YR 4/6), brown (7.5YR 4/4) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) gravelly clay, yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; few thin clay films on ped faces, common fine and medium distinct black coatings on ped faces; many fine concretions that effervesce with hydrogen peroxide; common to many pressure faces; few small slickensides; about 30 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Bt4--32 to 39 inches; mottled strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), reddish brown (5YR 4/4) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores, common very fine irregular pores; common black coatings that effervesce with hydrogen peroxide; few thin clay films on ped faces; about 30 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)

2C--39 to 60 inches; mottled dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and black (10YR 2/1) extremely cindery clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and black (10YR 2/1) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky, plastic; many very fine irregular pores; about 75 percent cinders; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary.

TYPE LOCATION: Coconino County, Arizona; southeast 1/4 section 14, T. 16 N., R. 9 E. in Bargeman Park, 1000 feet east of powerline right-of-way.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - The soil is dry in some part of the soil moisture control section for 90 days or more cumulative days. Typic ustic moisture regime.

Soil temperature - 36 to 45 degrees F.

Rock fragments - Less than 15 percent in the upper part increasing to about 50 to 80 percent in the C horizon.

Organic matter content - 1 to 3 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1, 2, or 3 dry and moist.
Texture: Silty clay loam, clay loam or clay.

B horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 2, 3, 4, or 5 dry, 2, 3, or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 in the upper part and variable in the lower part. T
Texture: Clay loam or clay.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bearpaw (MT), Burnel (MT), Cedarsprings (NM), Cerro (CO), Coben (MT), Danvers (MT), Fergus (MT), Gerbana (MT), Gerber (MT), Mondamin (SD), Nunnston (WY), Pagoda (CO), Regent (ND), Reget (WY), Ridgeview (SD), Wyola (MT), Suposo (NM), Tomasaki (UT), Tsoodzil (NM) and Yankee (NM) series. Burnel soils have accumulations of calcium carbonate. Cedarsprings, Coben, and Reget soils have hues 10YR and yellower. Gerbana and Reget soils are moderately deep. Cerro, Pagoda, and Suposo soils are formed in shale parent material. Tomasaki soils are formed in diorite parent material. Tsoodzil soils have hue redder than 7.5YR. The Cerro, Coben, Gerbana, Pagoda, Suposo, Tomaski, and Yankee soils are in LRR-E. The Bearpaw, Gerber, Grail, Mondamin, and Regent soils are in LRR-F. The Burnel, Danvers, Fergus, Reget, Ridgeview, and Wyola soils are in LRR-G. All these soils are more moist in May and June.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Friana soils are in nearly level basins. Elevations range from 6900 to 8000 feet. They formed in mixed sediments from volcanic ash, cinders and basalt. The climate is subhumid. Mean annual precipitation is 18 to 28 inches. It falls mostly in summer thundershowers and winter snow. The mean annual temperature ranges from 36 to 45 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is about 55 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing
Luna soils, these are the Brolliar, Clover Springs, Hogg, Luth, Siesta, and Sponseller soils. Brolliar and Sponseller soils have mollic epipedons less than 16 inches thick. Clover Springs and Luth soils lack argillic horizons. The Hogg and Siesta soils lack mollic epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well and well drained. Surface runoff is slow to medium. Permeability is very slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used largely for summer grazing of livestock and wildlife. Vegetation is blue grama, Kentucky bluegrass, spike muhly, western wheatgrass, yarrow, Antennaria and dandelion.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East central Arizona and New Mexico. The Friana series is moderately extensive. MLRA 39.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Zuni Mountain Area, New Mexico, 1965.

REMARKS: The Friana series was formerly classified in the Brown great soil group.

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data numbers S62AZ 005 019 and S62AZ 005 020

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.