LOCATION SHEZA AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sheza gravelly sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--4 to 15 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bk1--15 to 19 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) very gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel; common medium calcium carbonate accumulations, weakly cemented; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bk2--19 to 28 inches; pinkish white (5YR 8/2) extremely gravelly loam, light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 60 percent gravel and 10 percent cobble with calcium carbonate pendants on undersides; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
2Bk--28 to 38 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; 75 percent gravel and 10 percent cobble with calcium carbonate pendants on undersides; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
2C--38 to 60 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) stratified extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; loose; many fine roots; 75 percent gravel and 10 percent cobble; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Navajo County, Arizona; about 5 miles south of Woodruff; 1,700 feet south and 500 feet west of the northeast corner of section 17, T. 15 N., R. 22 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July-September and December-February. Driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Rock fragments: Averages less than 35 percent in the upper part of the control section and more than 35 percent in the lower part
Soil Temperature: 53 to 56 degrees F.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 10 to 25 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 10 to 20 inches. Calcium carbonate equivalent averages 15 to 40 percent and decreases with depth
Depth to contrasting material: 25 to 38 inches
Organic matter: Averages 1 percent or more in the surface
Reaction: Slightly or moderately alkaline in the upper control section and moderately alkaline in lower part
A horizon
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: Sandy clay loam, clay loam (Averages 18 to 35 percent clay)
Bk horizon-upper part
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 6, 7 or 8 dry, 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: Sandy loam, loam (Averages less than 18 percent clay)
Bk-lower part and C horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 6, 7 or 8 dry, 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: Stratified sand and gravel averaging loamy coarse sand
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Eldado (NM) and Naturita (CO)series. Sheza soils have hues yellower than 7.5YR in the Bt horizon. Naturita soils have sand and gravel substrata at depths less than 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sheza soils are on fan terraces of undulating plateaus and have slopes of 2 to 20 percent. These soils formed in alluvium along ancestral stream beds. Elevations range from 5,500 to 6,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 51 to 54 degrees F. The frost-free period is 130 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arntz, Bisoodi, Cerrillos and Leanto soils. Arntz soils do not have argillic horizons. Bisoodi and Leanto soils have a lithic contact at depths less than 20 inches. Cerrillos soils do not have contrasting textures in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sheza soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and mined for sand and gravel. The present vegetation is blue grama, Indian ricegrass, black grama, galleta, needleandthread, bottlebrush squirreltail, fourwing saltbush, winterfat, bigelow sagebrush, mormon tea and a few scattered juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona. This series is of small extent. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Navajo County, Arizona; Soil survey of Navajo County Area, Arizona, Central Part; 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 4 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 4 to 15 inches (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 15 to 28 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Strongly contrasting particle-size feature - The zone from 28 to 60 inches (2Bk and 2C horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Sample S77AZ-017-008