LOCATION HEBER AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Entic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Heber loamy fine sand-forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
A2--6 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; common fine and medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
C--14 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; few fine and medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Navajo, County, Arizona; about 1-1/2 miles south of the town of Heber; NW 1/4 of sec. 25, T. 12 N., R. 16 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July-September and December-February. May and June are the driest months. Dry in all parts of the moisture control section less than 25 percent of the time the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. Not moist in all parts for 90 days cumulative. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil temperature - Averages 47 to 59 degrees F. at a depth of 20 inches.
Reaction - Neutral to moderately alkaline; is slightly effervescent in some pedons.
Organic matter - Averages more than 1 percent in the upper 10 inches.
A Horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Texture: Loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam.
C Horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry, 2, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Texture: Loamy fine sand, loamy sand, with thin strata of fine sandy loam, sandy loam in some pedons below a depth of 3 feet.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Doger (SD), Dorrance (KS), Dunday (NE), Meadin (NE), and Pivot (NE) series. All these soils are in LRRs that are more moist in May and June. Doger soils have a mollic epipedon more than 20 inches thick. Dorrance soils have free carbonates at depths of less than 40 inches. Dunday soils have moist color value of less than 3.5 at depth of 20 inches or less. Meadin soils contain more than 15 percent gravel in the particle size control section. Pivot soils are underlain by sand and gravel.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Heber soils are on alluvial fans and flood plains at elevations of 6000 to 7800 feet. Slope gradients are 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in recent alluvium derived chiefly from sandstone and limestone. The climate is cool continental. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 20 inches. The mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees to 54 degrees F. The average January temperature is about 35 degrees and the average July temperature is about 70 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 100 to 140 days. They receive run-on water from slopes above.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Elledge, Millard, Mogollon, Showlow, Tuntsa (P) and Zeniff soils. Eledge, Millard, Showlow and Zeniff soils have argillic horizons. Mogollon soils have 18 to 35 percent clay in the control section. Tuntsa soils are coarse- loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very slow runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Heber soils are used for dry-farmed winter wheat, oats, corn, alfalfa and rangeland. Vegetation is ponderosa pine, pinyon, juniper, blue grama, western wheatgrass, spike muhly, fourwing saltbush and winterfat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Arizona and northwestern New Mexico. The series is of small extent. LRR-D; MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Holbrook-Show Low Area, Arizona, 1961.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized are:
1) Mollic epipedon - the thick dark surface layer to a depth of 14 inches.