LOCATION SPONSELLER AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sponseller gravelly loam-forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; decomposed and partially decomposed pine needle litter.
A--1 to 5 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; moderate thick platy and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 12 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine and coarse roots; few fine tubular and many very fine and fine interstitial pores; l5 percent pebbles; few very thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--12 to 23 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent pebbles; common thin clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--23 to 43 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) cobbly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium angular and subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent cobbles and l0 percent pebbles; few to common thin clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt irregular boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizon 35 to 45 inches thick)
C--43 to 45 inches; cobbles and cinders.
TYPE LOCATION: Navajo County, Arizona; l mile southwest of Lakeside in the SEl/4 sec. 25, T. 9 N., R. 22 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: typically is 40 to 50 inches, but ranges from 24 to 60 inches.
Soil moisture regime: dry in some or all parts for 90 or more cumulative days in most years. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 47 to 50 F.
Rock fragments: l0 to 35 percent cobbles, pebbles, and cinders with a few boulders in some pedons.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, silt loam, gravelly loam, or gravelly silt loam
Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR or 2.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry and moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam, clay loam, or gravelly clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent clay
Reaction: moderately to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Absarook (MT),
Archmesa (CO),
Beartooth (MT),
Beeno (WY),
Bielenberg (T MT),
Bookcliff (),
Burtoner (MT),
Clancy (MT),
Clasoil (MT),
Dooley (MT),
Doughty (MT),
Empedrado (CO),
Fairfield (MT),
Farnuf (MT),
Farside (MT),
Felor (SD),
Greenway (SD),
Gurney (SD),
Hangdo (UT),
High (CO),
Hoppers (MT),
Hyalite (T MT),
Jeffcity (MT),
Kokoruda (MT),
Livona (ND),
Martinsdale (MT),
Maudlin (CO),
Meagher (MT),
Moen (CO),
Moento (CO),
Pianohill (MT),
Placerton (MT),
Reeder (ND),
Reedwest (MT),
Sipple (MT),
Snakejohn (UT),
Trag (CO),
Tragmon (CO),
Trazuni (NM),
Trujillo (CO),
Ulrant (WY),
Vida (MT),
Watne (MT),
Watrous (ND),
Williams (ND), and
Yegen (MT) series.
Absarook, Archmesa, Burtoner, Gurney, Maudlin, Moen, Moento, Pianohill, and Watrous soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact.
Beartooth, Bielenberg, Clasoil, Dooley, Doughty, Empedrado, Fairfield, Farnuf, Farside, Felor, Greenway, Hangdo, High, Hyalite, Kokorudu, Livona, Martinsdale, Meagher, Sipple, Trag, Tragmon, Trazuni, Trujillo, Vida, Watne, Williams, and Yegen soils are very deep.
Beeno, Clancy, Hoppers, Jeffcity, Placerton, Reeder, and Reedwest soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
Bookcliff soils are deep to a lithic contact of sandstone.
Snakejohn soils have a calcic horizon.
Trazuni soils have redoximorphic features in the lower part of the profile.
Ulrant soils formed in granitic parent materials and have more than 15 percent granitic gravel in the profile.
In addition, Absarook, Archmesa, Beartooth, Beeno, Bielenberg, Burtoner, Clancy, Clasoil, Dooley, Doughty, Empedrado, Fairfield, Farnuf, Farside, Felor, Greenway, Gurney, High, Hoppers, Hyalite, Jeffcity, Kokoruda, Livona, Martinsdale, Maudlin, Meagher, Moen, Moento, Pianohill, Placerton, Reeder, Reedwest, Sipple, Trag, Tragmon, Trujillo, Ulrant, Vida, Watne, Watrous, Williams, and Yegen soils are in LRR-E, LRR-F, or LRR-G, and are moist in
May and June.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Sponseller soils are on broad ridges and hill slopes and have gradients of 3 to 40 percent. Elevations are 7,000 to 8,000 feet. They formed in basalt and pyroclastic rocks. The climate is subhumid with cool moist summers and cold moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 20 to 26 inches. Mean annual temperature is 45 F. Average January temperature is 26 F., average July temperature is 64 F. Frost-free season is 75 to l00 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brolliar and Siesta soils. The particle size control section in Brolliar is commonly greater than 35 percent and has a lithic contact within 40 inches. Siesta lacks a mollic epipedon and has a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow runoff. Moderate to moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used for timber production, grazing, and water supply. Vegetation is ponderosa pine, a few Gambel oak, and an understory of mountain muhly, Arizona fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona and New Mexico. The series is extensive. MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Holbrook-Show Low Area, Navajo County, Arizona; 1962.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 1 to 12 inches (A & Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 43 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 horizons)