LOCATION SHELLEY AZ

Established Series
Rev. AAD/PDC
12/2015

SHELLEY SERIES

The Shelley series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively to excessively drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium and colluvium. The Shelley soils are on fan terraces and have slopes of 1 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 65 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, thermic Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Shelley very gravelly sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many very fine vesicular and common fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel, 10 percent cobble and 10 percent stones; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Bk1--2 to 8 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobble; slightly effervescent with disseminated and segregated calcium carbonate as pendants on sand grains and rock fragments, 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

Bk2--8 to 30 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; many fine and very fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 25 percent cobble and 10 percent stones; strongly effervescent with disseminated and segregated calcium carbonate as pendants on sand grains and rock fragments, 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick)

Bk3--30 to 62 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose; common very fine and fine roots; many fine and very fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobble; strongly effervescent with disseminated and segregated calcium carbonate as pendants on sand grains and rock fragments, 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)

2C--62 to 64 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose; no roots; many fine and very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent with disseminated calcium carbonate, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Mohave County, Arizona; about 2.5 miles south of Littlefield, Arizona; about 1000 feet south and 800 feet east of the northwest corner of section 21, T. 40 N., R. 15 W.; about 38 degrees, 51 minutes, 28 seconds North latitude and 113 degrees, 55 minutes, 30 seconds West longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during December through February and for less than 20 days cumulative during July through September. Driest during May and June. Typic Aridic soil moisture regime.

Rock fragments: Averages more than 35 percent throughout. Ranges from 20 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobble and 0 to 20 percent stones

Soil temperature: 59 to 72 degrees F.

Organic matter: Less than 1 percent in the upper 1 to 4 inches

Depth to calcic horizon: 1 to 10 inches, 6 to 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent

A horizon

Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR

Value: 4 through 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist

Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly, 0 to 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent

Bk horizon

Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR

Value: 4 through 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist

Texture: Sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand

Reaction: Moderately to strongly alkaline

Effervescence: Strongly to violently, 6 to 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent

COMPETING SERIES: These are Caliza (NM), Eastland (NV), Redo (AZ) and Tonopah (NV) soils. Caliza and Redo soils are moist in some part of the soil moisture control section for more than 20 days cumulative during July-September. Tonopah soils have calcic horizons at depths of 18 to 30 inches. Eastland soils have calcic horizons at depths of 30 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shelley soils are on fan terraces and have slopes of 1 to 15 percent. These soils formed in mixed alluvium and colluvium derived dominantly from intrusive igneous and sedimentary rocks. Elevations range from 1600 to 4500 feet. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 70 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 6 to 12 inches. The frost-free period is 180 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arizo, Bitterspring and Nickel soils. Arizo soils do not have calcic horizons. Bitterspring soils have argillic horizons. Nickel soils are loamy-skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively to excessively drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Shelley soils are used for livestock grazing, home development and recreation. The present vegetation is creosotebush, white bursage, black grama, big galleta, Indian ricegrass and Joshua trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Arizona. This soil is of limited extent. MLRA is 30. Name derived from Shelley Reservoir on the Little Tank Quad.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mohave County; Soil survey of the Shivwits Area, Arizona, Part of Mohave County; 1994.

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

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

Calcic horizon - The zone from 2 to 62 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 horizons)

Formerly classified as Typic Calciorthids.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/1997. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.