LOCATION TELEPHONE AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Lithic Ustorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Telephone very cobbly sandy loam, forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
C--4 to 17 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very cobbly light sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine, very fine and medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear irregular boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
2R--17 to 20 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Navajo County, Arizona; on steep slope; NE1/4 sec. 7, T.9N., R.21E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: usually between 12 and 17 inches and ranges from 8 to 20 inches.
Coarse fragment content: 35 to 80 percent by volume.
Reaction: moderately to slightly acid.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 degrees to 56 degrees F.
Soil moisture: Typic ustic moisture regime
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR, dominantly 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry and 3 through 6 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3
Texture: gravelly, cobbly or stony sandy loam and very gravelly, very cobbly or very stony sandy loam
C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry and 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam, very cobbly sandy loam and very stony sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cortaro (AZ) and Hailstone (AZ) series. Cortaro soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 57 to 59 degrees F. Hailstone soils have a higher rainfall component and formed in residuum and colluvium from rhyolitic tuff.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Telephone soils are on moderately steep to very steep hills at elevations of 5,000 to 7,500 feet. Slopes range from 9 to 60 percent but are dominantly 20 to 50 percent. These soils formed in place on noncalcareous sandstone bedrock. The average annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 22 inches and occurs mainly as thunderstorms in July and august and as gentle rains and snow in January and February. The mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees to 56 degrees F., and the frost-free season ranges from 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing Elledge soils, these are the Thunderbird, Showlow and Overgaard series. These soils have fine-textured argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used chiefly for the production of timber and grazing. Vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine, manzanita, Gambel oak, juniper, snakeweed and June grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Arizona. The series is extensive. MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Cruz County Area, Arizona, 1971.