LOCATION SHORTBREAD              AZ

Established Series
WJ/RKS/DWD/HCD
12/2015

SHORTBREAD SERIES

The Shortbread series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in alluvium from mixed sources. Shortbread soils are on fan terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 61 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, thermic Typic Torriorthents

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

A--0 to 1 inch; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 1 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

C1--1 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 1 percent gravel; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 35 inches thick)

C2--28 to 38 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 1 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)

C3--38 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Mohave County, Arizona; 2,000 feet east and 700 feet north of the southeast corner section 18, T. 24 N., R. 16 W. Gila and Salt River Base Meridian. Located 35 degrees, 27 minutes, 32 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees, 01 minutes, 08 seconds west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

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

Rock fragments: less than 15 percent gravel

Effervescence: noneffervescent to 20 inches or more

Particle-size control section: averages loamy sand or loamy fine sand. One or more horizons within the control section have textures of sandy loam or fine sandy loam.

The lower part may have gravelly loamy sand textures in some pedons.

A and C horizons

Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist

Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amole (AZ) (T), Challenger (CA), Hypoint (NV), Livefire (CA), Orwash (NV), Redington (AZ), and Yellowrock (CA) series. Amole soils are moist in some part of the moisture control section for more than 20 days cumulative from July through September. In addition, they formed in alluvium derived from granitic rock sources and have a high content of biotite and magnetite. Challenger soils have loamy sodic horizons with a SAR of 13 to 100 within 40 inches. Hypoint and Orwash soils average 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Livefire soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments and sandy loam textures in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Redington soils have densic horizons within 30 inches. Yellowrock soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section from May through November. In addition, they average 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shortbread soils are on fan terraces at elevations of 2,800 to 3,600 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed sources. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 64 degrees F. The frost-free period is 200 to 230 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dutchflat, Filaree, Hulda and Lostman soils. Dutchflat soils have argillic horizons. Filaree and Lostman soils are coarse-loamy. Hulda soils are shallow over bedrock.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes big galleta, sand dropseed, creosotebush and white bursage.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Arizona. Shortbread soils are of moderate extent. MLRA is 30.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mohave County, Arizona; Soil survey of Mohave County, Arizona, Central Part; 2005. Name derived from a local mining claim.

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

Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 1 inch (A horizon)

Entisol feature - The absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons

The type location was moved in 2004 to better represent the series concept.

Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 1/2005. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.