LOCATION MERIWHITICA             AZ+UT

Established Series
Rev. DJP/JLF/RLB/DWD
10/2011

MERIWHITICA SERIES

The Meriwhitica series consists of very shallow, well drained soils on mesas and plateaus. These soils formed in alluvium and residuum derived dominantly from limestone. Slope is 1 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches. The mean annual air temperature is about 55 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Meriwhitica extremely cobbly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel and channers, 45 percent cobble and flagstones and 20 percent stones; violently effervescent, 29 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Bk--3 to 8 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few coarse roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 35 percent cobble; few thin calcium carbonate coatings in pores and on ped faces and common thin coatings on rock fragments; violently effervescent, 24 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

R--8 inches; thin bedded, grey limestone.

TYPE LOCATION: Mohave County, Arizona; about 3 miles north of Plain Tank on the Hualapai Indian Reservation; 2200 feet south and 200 feet east of the northwest corner of section 27, T. 27 N., R. 12 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during December-February and for more than 20 days cumulative during July-September. Driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 54 to 58 degrees F.

Depth to bedrock: 4 to 10 inches

Particle size control section

Clay content: averages less than 18 percent

Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent

Calcium carbonates equivalent: range from 5 to 40 percent

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist

Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: silt loam, fine sandy loam, loam, very fine sandy loam; averages less than 18 percent clay in the control section

COMPETING SERIES: These are Andanada (NM), Daklos (UT), Ednagrey (NV), Hillburn (UT), Nonip (UT), Redsun (WY), Reef (UT), Skos (UT), Sunup (WY), Teesto (AZ), and Windcomb (UT) series. Andanada, Nonip, and Teesto soils average more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Daklos, Redsun, Reef, Sunup, and Windcomb soils have a mean annual soil temperature less than 54 degrees F. In addition, Reef soils are dominated by channers and flagstones. Skos soils have hues redder than 7.5YR. Hillburn soils are inactive. Ednagrey soils are moist in the soil moisture control section less than 20 days cumulative between July and September.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Meriwhitica soils are on mesas, hill slopes on structural benches and plateaus at elevations of 4400 to 6700 feet. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived dominantly from limestone. Slopes range from 1 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 52 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free period is 120 to 175 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Havasupai, Hindu and Winona soils. Havasupai soils are shallow to a petrocalcic horizon. Hindu soils have a mean annual soil temperature greater than 59 degrees F. Winona soils have a calcic horizon and carbonatic mineralogy.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Meriwhitica soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is blackbrush, Utah agave, Stansbury cliffrose, sideoats grama, slim tridens, and black grama.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Arizona and south central Utah. This series is of moderate extent. MLRA is 35.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mohave County, Arizona; Soil survey of 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 3 inches (A horizon)

Entisol feature - the absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons

Lithic contact - the boundary at 8 inches (R horizon)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Eleventh Edition, 2010

Updated competing series section June 26, 2008, CEM

Update and revisions for the correlation of Little Colorado River Area (AZ707), Sept. 2011, CEM

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.