LOCATION SCHENCO AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, hyperthermic, shallow Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Schenco extremely channery loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) extremely channery loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 75 percent channers; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Bw1--2 to 5 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) very channery loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 50 percent channers; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw2--5 to 11 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) very channery loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 50 percent channers; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt irregular boundary. (1 to 12 inches thick)
2Cr--11 to 22 inches; partially weathered schist; lime coatings on rock fragments; patchy clay films in joints.
TYPE LOCATION: Maricopa County, Arizona; 1320 feet west and 500 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 29, T. 6 N., R. 1 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Intermittently moist in some parts of the soil moisture control section during July - August and December - January. Typic aridic moisture regime.
Rock fragments - 35 to 80 percent pebbles and flat fragments (channers).
Depth to paralithic contact - 4 to 20 inches.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry and moist
Texture: Loam, sandy loam, clay loam (10 to 30 percent clay.)
Organic matter: less than 1 percent
Reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline
Carbonates: Non to violently effervescent.
B horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3, 4 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: Sandy clay loam, loam, clay loam (12 to 30 percent clay.)
Carbonates: Strongly or violently effervescent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ramshead (NV) and Stormjade series. Ramshead soils do not have Bw horizons and occur on sedimentary parent materials. Stormjade soils occur on gneiss and granite parent materials.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Schenco soils are on hillslopes and have gradients of 3 to 60 percent. They formed in slope alluvium from schist. Elevations are 1500 to 3200 feet. The climate is hot, arid and continental. Average annual rainfall is 6 to 10 inches. Precipitation falls as summer thundershowers and gentle winter rains. Mean annual temperature is 69 to 74 degrees F. The frost-free period is 250 to 325 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Antho, Ebon, and Suncity soils. Antho soils are on floodplains and are coarse-loamy. Ebon soils are deep and have an argillic horizon. Suncity soils have a duripan at a depth of 6 to 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for grazing. Native vegetation is white brittlebush, jojoba, skeletonweed, staghorn cholla, teddy bear cholla, barrel cactus, saguaro, ocotillo, pricklypear, triangle bursage, creosotebush, ironwood, Mormon-tea, paloverde, and annual grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Arizona. The soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 40.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Aguila Carefree Area, Arizona, Parts of Maricopa and Pinal Counties, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized are:
1. Depth to paralithic contact is about 11 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL sample S78 AZ-013-13.