LOCATION GROWLER AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Growler extremely gravelly fine sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) 95 percent of the surface is covered with varnished gravel.
A--0 to 1 inch; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable; many fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; very slightly saline (ECe 2.5 dS/m); 80 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
Bt--1 to 2 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; violently effervescent; very slightly saline (ECe 0.5 dS/m); 15 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
Btkz1--2 to 7 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; few small calcium carbonate masses; violently effervescent; strongly saline (ECe 32.0 dS/m); 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
Btkz2--7 to 15 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common medium calcium carbonate masses, violently effervescent; strongly saline (ECe 50.0 dS/m); 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual smooth boundary.
2Btkz3--15 to 26 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few small calcium carbonate masses; violently effervescent; strongly saline (ECe 34.0 dS/m); 20 percent gravel, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
2Btkz4--26 to 43 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films in pores; many medium hard calcium carbonate masses; violently effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate); strongly saline (ECe 28.0 dS/m); 40 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
3Btkz5--43 to 55 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly loamy sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; many very fine irregular pores; bridging and colloid stains on mineral grains; many medium calcium carbonate nodules, violently effervescent; strongly saline (ECe 24.0 dS/m); 75 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
3Bkz--55 to 60 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very gravelly sand, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; massive; hard, friable; many very fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films in pores; common small calcium carbonate nodules; noneffervescent with pockets that are violently effervescent; moderately saline (ECe 12.0 dS/m); 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Maricopa County, Arizona; about 1600 feet north and 2000 feet east of the southwest corner of section 30, T. 5 S., R. 4 W.
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.
Depth to calcium carbonate - 6 to 36 inches. Some pedons are slightly or strongly effervescent in the A and B horizons
Salinity- moderately to very strongly saline; EC is usually 16 to 30 dS/m, but ranges from 4 to more than 70 below 10 inches
Rock fragments - ranges from 5 to 70 percent in any one subhorizon, averages less than 35 percent in the particle-size control section
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam
Organic matter: Less than 1 percent
Reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline
B horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3, 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 3, 4 or 6 dry, 3, 4, 6 or 8 moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, silt loam, sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, some pedons are coarser or finer below 40 inches
Reaction: Strongly or moderately alkaline
Some pedons have a secondary argillic horizon developing immediately beneath the A horizon
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wellton (AZ) series. Wellton soils have sandy loam B horizons and have SARs less than 4 and EC's less than 8 dS/m.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Growler soils are on nearly level to gently sloping fan terraces at elevations of 500 to 1,500 feet. Slopes are dominantly 0 to 3 percent, but range from 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in fan alluvium from mixed rock sources, including rhyolite, andesite, basalt, rhyolitic and andesitic tuff with some influence from eolian sediments. The climate is hot, arid and continental. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 67 to 75 degrees F. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 4 to 10 inches, about one-half of which falls as summer thundershowers during the months of July, August, and September. The frost-free period is 250 to 350 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Antho, Cherioni, Gilman, Harqua, and Rillito soils. Antho and Gilman soils are on flood plains. Cherioni soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments, and a duripan at shallow depths. Harqua soils have a moderately fine-textured control section. Rillito soils do not have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is scattered creosotebush, saltbush, turkshead, and annual grasses and weeds.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. Growler soils are inextensive. MLRA is 40.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pima County (Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Survey Area), Arizona; 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 1 inch (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 1 to 55 inches (Bt, Btkz1, Btkz2, Btkz3, 2Btkz4, 3Btkz5 horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 15 to 60 inches (Btkz3, 2Btkz4, 3Btkz5, 3Bkz horizons)