LOCATION RETRIEVER AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, carbonatic, thermic Lithic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Retriever gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors for dry conditions unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; plentiful fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick.)
C--2 to 8 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; plentiful fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick.)
Ck--8 to 14 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly light clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; violently effervescent; many lime nodules; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick.)
R--14 to 16 inches plus; white (10YR 8/1) extremely hard limestone; violently effervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Yavapai County, Arizona. SW 1/4, Sec. 25, T15N, R5E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July-September. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
The soil has over 40 percent carbonates and bedrock at 20 inch depths or less
The soils are usually dry in the 7 to 20 inch layer or to lithic contact, whichever is shallower
Mean annual soil temperature: 61 degrees F. to 70 degrees F.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR and 10YR
Value: 5.5 dry and 3.5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
C horizon
Hue: 10YR through 5YR, but are dominantly 7.5 YR
Value: 5.5 dry and 3.5 moist
Chroma: 3 and 4
Texture: gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam, loam, and gravelly light clay loam
Coarse fragment content: quite variable and everywhere this soil is either gravelly, cobbly or stony on the surface and throughout the entire profile
Content of coarse fragments: 15 to 35 percent
The Ck horizon may be weakly cemented
In some areas the C horizon rests directly on bedrock at a very shallow depth
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competitors.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Retriever soils are on nearly level and undulating to steep (2 to 40 percent) uplands. The soils are formed in place on limestone. These soils are at elevations of 1800 to 4500 feet. The average annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 13 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 61 degrees F. to 65 degrees F. The average frost-free period is about 225 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the House Mountain soils, these include the Mescal, Bridge, Penthouse, Graham, Rimrock, Continental, Palos Verdes, Glendale and Anthony series. Mescal and Bridge soils both have mixed mineralogy and lack bedrock at shallow depths which 19 characteristic of the Retriever soils. The Penthouse, Graham, Continental and Palos Verdes soils all have Bt horizons and Graham soils have a mollic epipedon. Rimrock soils are fine-textured, have smectitic mineralogy, and crack deeply upon drying. The Glendale and Anthony soils are both deep soils and lack bedrock at shallow depths.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained with medium surface runoff. Permeability of the soil is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used only as rangeland and for wildlife. Vegetation consists of crucifixion-thorn, snakeweed, yucca, Mormon-tea (Ephedra), a few juniper and creosotebush with some Stipa. At least 40 percent of the surface is barren.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In central and southern Arizona, generally associated with the Verde formation. This soil occurs in LRR-D, MLRA 38. Retriever soils are extensive in Arizona.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beaver Creek Area, Arizona, 1965.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Entisol feature - The absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons
The Retriever series was formerly classified as a Lithosol.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.