LOCATION SPRINGERVILLE AZ+UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Haplusterts
TYPICAL PEDON: Springerville stony silty clay - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 1 inch; brown (7.5YR 4/2) stony silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; many fine irregular pores; 25 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A2--1 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) stony silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong medium and fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 25 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Ass1--4 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and fine angular blocky and subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; common irregular pores; common medium slickensides; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Ass2--9 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and fine angular blocky and subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots; common fine tubular and irregular pores; common medium slickensides; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
ACss--15 to 25 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many medium slickensides; few black concretions; few fine calcium carbonate nodules; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
Css1--25 to 35 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few pores; many intersecting slickensides; few fine calcium carbonate nodules; few stones; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Css2--35 to 42 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) stony silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many intersecting slickensides; common fine calcium carbonate nodules and few soft calcium carbonate accumulations; 25 percent stones; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2R--42 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Yavapai County, Arizona; 50 feet west of the center of U.S. Highway 89 at a point 0.6 miles south of Milepost 350, 14.8 miles south of the junction of U.S. Highway 66 and 89; near the center of section 20, T. 19 N., R. 1 W.
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. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.
Rock Fragments: 5 to 40 percent gravel, cobble and stones
Soil Temperature: 47 to 59 degrees F.
Organic matter: More than 1 percent in the surface
Cracking: Deep, wide cracks are open more than 210 days cumulative
Reaction: Slightly or moderately alkaline
Depth to bedrock: 40 to 60 inches
A and Ass horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry, 2, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4, dry or moist
Css, Bss and Bk horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry, 2, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: Clay, silty clay, clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Albers (AZ), Antelopeflat (CO), Arboles (C), Dominquez (CO), Ritoazul (CO), and Sideshow (CO) series. Albers soils are very deep. Antelopeflat have accumulations of gypsum in the profile. Arboles soils formed in parent material derived from shale. Dominquez soils have hue of 5YR or 2.5YR. Ritoazul soils are moderately deep to shale and have accumulations of gypsum in the profile. Sideshow soils are effervescent at 10 inches, contain less than 5 percent calcium carbonates equivalents and do not have 5YR hue.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Springerville soils are on plateaus and mesas and have slopes of 0 to 10 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from tuff, volcanic breccia and basalt. Elevations range from 4,200 to 7,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 18 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 45 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free period is 120 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cabezon, Showlow, Tajo and Thunderbird soils. These soils do not have intersecting slickensides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Springerville soils are used for livestock grazing, fuelwood production and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is blue grama, sideoats grama, snakeweed, juniper and pinon pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona. This series is extensive. MLRAs 35 & 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Navajo County (Holbrook - Show Low Area), Arizona; 1961.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 15 inches (A1, A2, Ass1, Ass2 horizons)
Intersecting slickensides - The zone from 25 to 42 inches (Css1, Css2 horizons)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 42 inches (2R horizon)