LOCATION TURQUOISE               AZ

Established Series
Rev. WAS/CEM
10/2014

TURQUOISE SERIES

The Turquoise series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium and residuum derived from granodiorite, granite, and quartzite. Turquoise soils are on hills and mountains. Slope ranges from 3 to 45 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 18 inches (457 mm) and mean annual air temperature is about 60 degrees F (15.6 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic, shallow Aridic Ustorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Turquoise loamy coarse sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) 100 percent of the surface is covered with fine gravel

A1--0 to 1 inch (0 to 3 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) loamy coarse sand, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak moderate thick platy structure parting to single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches or 3 to 13 cm thick)

A2--1 to 5 inches (3 to 13 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 15 inches or 10 to 38 cm thick)

Crt--5 to 22 inches (13 to 56 cm); weathered granodiorite; extremely hard; many distinct manganese coatings on rock fragments; few distinct organic coatings on rock fragments; few distinct clay films on rock fragments; many very fine roots along fractures; clear wavy boundary.

R--22 inches (56 cm); unweathered granodiorite.

TYPE LOCATION: Cochise County, Arizona; located about 1,100 feet south and 10 feet east of the northwest corner of section 19, Township 19 S., Range 25 E.; Turquoise Mountain topographic quadrangle; latitude 31 degrees, 46 minutes, 02 seconds N, longitude of 109 degrees, 51 minutes, 11 seconds 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.
Soil Temperature: 59 to 64 degrees F (15 to 17.8 degrees C).
Surface rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent

Particle-Size Control Section (weighted average):
Clay Content: 3 to 18 percent
Rock Fragments: 0 to 30 percent
Depth to weathered bedrock: 5 to 20 inches (13 to 51 cm)
Depth to unweathered bedrock: 20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 cm)
Reaction: slightly acid to neutral
Organic matter: 0.5 to 3 percent

A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, coarse sandy loam

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Turquoise soils are in the Chihuahuan Desert on hills and mountains. Slope ranges from 3 to 45 percent. These soils formed from slope alluvium and residuum derived from granodiorite, granite, and quartzite and elevation ranges from 4,000 to 6,200 feet (1219.2 to 1889.8 meters).. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches (406 to 508 mm) and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December and January. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F (13.9 to 16.7 degrees C). The frost-free period is 150 to 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nugget, Gardencan, and Lanque soils. Nugget soils have 18 to 35 percent clay and an argillic horizon. Gardencan and Lanque soils are very deep.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability; medium to very high runoff.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes Texas bluestem, plains lovegrass, manzanita, sideoats grama, beggartick threeawn, hairy grama, sacahuista, bullgrass, and Emory oak.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central, and Southeastern Arizona portion of the Chihuahuan desert. This soil occurs in LRR-D, MLRAs 38 and 41. Turquoise soils are of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona; Soil Survey of Cochise County, Arizona, Douglas-Tombstone Part; 2000.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 5 inches (0 to 13 cm) (A horizons)
Paralithic contact - the boundary at 5 inches (13 cm) (Crt horizon)
Lithic contact - the boundary at 22 inches (56 cm) (R horizon)
Entisol feature - the absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th Edition, 2014.

Revised for the correlation of AZ661, 2/2009, WWJ
Update and revisions for the correlation of SDJR - MLRA 38 - Turquoise-Coppercan complex, 5 to 45 percent slopes, Sept 2014, LJG2

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.