LOCATION GILA AZ+NM NV TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Typic Torrifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Gila loam - irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
C1--6 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; very few fine irregular accumulations of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)
C2--22 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
C3--27 to 39 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C4--39 to 60 inches; stratified brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam and gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly sticky; common very fine tubular and irregular pores; few very fine irregular accumulations of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Graham County, Arizona; about 1 mile north of Safford; 2,600 feet east and 2,620 feet north of the southwest corner of Section 5, T.7 S., R. 26 E. Latitude of 32 degrees, 51 minutes, 10 seconds N., Longitude of 109 degrees, 42 minutes, 39 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-February. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 59 to 72 degrees F.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Organic Matter: Less than 1 percent that decreases irregularly with depth
Reaction: Neutral to very strongly alkaline
Stratification: Usually 1 to 6 inch thick strata of finer or coarser material
Salinity: Nonsaline to strongly saline
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loam, silt loam, very fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate: slightly to violently effervescent as disseminated or as fine irregular accumulations
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Anthony (AZ), Excelsior (CA), Grabe (AZ), Ireteba (NV), Junction (UT), Popson (I)(CA), Rucker (AZ), Tobler (UT), and Victorville (CA) series. Anthony and Rucker soils are coarse sandy loam, sandy loam or fine sandy loam in the control section. Excelsior and Victorville soils are moist in some part of the soil moisture control section for less than 20 days cumulative between July and September. Grabe and Rucker soils contain more than 1 percent organic matter in the surface and are moist in the soil moisture control section for longer periods due to a higher rainfall component. Ireteba soils contain horizons of distinct calcium carbonate accumulations. Junction and Tobler soils have hue redder than 7.5YR. Popson soils are inactive.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gila soils are on alluvial fans and flood plains at elevations of 1,750 to 5,000 feet. These soils formed in stratified alluvium from mixed sources. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 4 to 12 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 70 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 280 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arizo, Brazito, Glendale, Guest and the competing Anthony soils. Arizo soils are sandy-skeletal. Brazito soils are sandy. Glendale soils are fine-silty. Guest soils are fine textured.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Gila soils are used for livestock grazing and irrigated cropland. The vegetation is mesquite, catclaw, creosotebush, arrowweed, saltbush, cottonwood, willow, and tamarisk.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. This series is extensive. Total extent is about 220,000 acres. This soil occurs in LRR-D, MLRAs 40, 41, and 42.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Salt River Valley, Arizona; 1900.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 6 inches (Ap horizon)
Entisol feature - The absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
Revised for the correlation of AZ661, 1/2009, WWJ