LOCATION HERMSHALE AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Hermshale extremely flaggy fine sandy loam - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely flaggy fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent stones, 25 percent flagstones and 35 percent channers; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 7 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) channery loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles, 15 percent channers and gravel; few distinct clay films in pores; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--7 to 15 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very gravelly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobble and 30 percent gravel; few distinct clay films in pores and on ped faces; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
Bt3--15 to 23 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; few distinct clay films in pores and on ped faces; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Btk1--23 to 38 inches; mixed yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and white (5YR 8/1) channery clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and pink (5YR 7/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobble and 25 percent channers; few distinct clay films and many prominent stress surfaces on ped faces; few faint calcium carbonate masses on peds and few faint coatings on rock fragments; noneffervescent soil matrix with violently effervescent calcium carbonate features; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
Btk2--38 to 43 inches; mixed yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and pink (5YR 7/4) very channery clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 45 percent channers; few distinct clay films in pores and on ped faces; many medium and coarse distinct calcium carbonate masses and common distinct coatings on rock fragments; noneffervescent soil matrix with violently effervescent calcium carbonate features; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
R--43 inches; red sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Coconino County, Arizona; on the Hualapai Indian Reservation; approximately 600 feet south and 1300 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 8, T. 26 N., R. 8 W.; about 15 miles northeast of Peach Springs, Arizona.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during January - March and July - September. Driest during May and June. Aridic Ustic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 52 to 58 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock: 40 to 60 inches
Rock fragments: averages less than 35 percent in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizons, but may range up to 45 percent in any individual horizon within the control section
Depth to calcium carbonate: 20 to 30 inches
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent in the Btk horizons
Linear extensibility: 6.0 cm or more from the surface horizon to 40 inches
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Bt horizons
Hue: 5YR, 2.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam in upper part; sandy clay or clay in lower part
Clay content: averages 35 to 50 percent in the upper 20 inches
Rock fragments: averages from 10 to 35 percent in upper 20 inches; ranges to 45 percent in any individual horizon
Btk horizons
Hue: 5YR, 2.5YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: sandy clay, clay
Rock fragments: averages 35 to 60 percent
A Bw horizon is present below the A horizon in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Disterheff (AZ) and Retsover (AZ) series. Disterheff soils are very deep. Retsover soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 51 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hermshale soils are on foot slopes and toe slopes of fan terraces bordering steep outcrops of the Hermit Shale formation. These soils formed in alluvium derived from interbedded sandstone, limestone and shale. Elevations are 5900 to 6200 feet. Slopes range from 15 to 35 percent. The mean annual air temperature is 50 to 56 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 14 to 16 inches. The frost-free period is 140 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barx, Deama, Metuck, Toqui, Tovar, and Yumtheska soils. Barx soils are fine-loamy and very deep. Deama, Metuck, Toqui and Yumtheska soils have a lithic contact at depths less than 20 inches. Tovar soils are moderately deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for wildlife habitat, limited fuelwood production and livestock grazing on lesser slopes. The present vegetation is Utah juniper, turbinella oak, banana yucca, blue grama and bottlebrush squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Arizona. This series is of small extent. MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coconino County, Arizona; Soil Survey of the Hualapai-Havasupai Area, Arizona, Parts of Coconino, Mohave and Yavapai Counties; 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 2 to 43 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Btk1, Btk2 horizons)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 43 inches (R horizon)
Vertic subgroup - Linear extensibility of 6.0 cm or more to 40 inches