LOCATION MOENKOPIE               AZ+UT

Established Series
Rev. MLM/YHH
10/2013

MOENKOPIE SERIES

The Moenkopie series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from sandstone and shale. Moenkopie soils are on mesas, plateaus, hills, and structural benches. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches. Mean annual air temperature is about 52 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Lithic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Moenkopie loamy sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) loamy sand, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium platy and weak fine granular structure; loose, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

C--2 to 9 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick)

2R--9 inches; sandstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Apache County, Arizona; 65 feet south of mile post 349 on the west side of Highway 666 north of Concho, Arizona; SW 1/4 NE 1/4 of section 7, T. 13 N., R. 26 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July-August and December-January. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 52 to 59 degrees F.

Depth to bedrock: dominantly 9 to 18 inches, but ranges from 4 to 20 inches

Rock fragments: averages less than 35 percent in the particle size control section; individual horizons can range from 35 to 65 percent

Texture: (A and C or B horizons) - loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, loamy fine sand, coarse sandy loam, loamy coarse sand (less than 18 percent clay)

Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline

Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent in the A horizon and less than 35 percent below

Organic matter: less than 1 percent

A horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist

B or C horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 3 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8, dry or moist

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Braf (UT), Casmos (UT), Farb (NM), Juanalo (CO) and Mulligan (T) (UT) series. Braf and Mulligan soils have a mean annual soil temperature lower than 52 degrees F. Casmos and Farb soils have hue of 7.5YR or yellower. Juanalo and Casmos soils contain more than 18 percent clay.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moenkopie soils are on plateaus, mesas, hills, and structural benches at elevations of 3,670 to 7,000 feet. Slopes are dominantly 1 to 64 percent but ranges from 0 to 30 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from sandstone and shale; some areas are interbedded. The mean annual precipitation is 5 to 12 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 50 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free period is 130 to 195 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hubert, Jocity and Tours soils. Hubert soils have a mollic epipedon and are loamy-skeletal. Jocity and Tours soils are very deep, loamy and occur on floodplains and alluvial fans.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is slow to moderate; moderate or moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is blue grama, galleta, alkali sacaton, threeawn, fourwing saltbush, snakeweed, and sand dropseed, and juniper, algerita, cliffrose, and widely spaced pinyon pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona and southern Utah. The series is of large extent. MLRA 35.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Winslow Area, Coconino and Navajo Counties, Arizona; 1921.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)

Particle size control section - the zone from 0 to 9 inches (A and C horizons)

Entisol feature - the absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons

Lithic contact - the boundary at 9 inches (2R horizon)

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

Update and revision for the Correlation of Navajo Mountain Area (AZ711) and Ft. Defiance Area (AZ715), June 13, 2008, CEM

Updated and revised for the correlation of Canyonlands National Park (UT688), October 2009, WWJ

Update and revisions for the correlation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, January 2010, CEM
Updated for the correlation of Emery Area Utah, April 2011
Update and revisions for the correlation of Chinle Area (AZ713), August 2011, LJG2
Update and revisions for the correlation of Wupatki National Monument, AZ, June 2013, CEM
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.