LOCATION VECONT AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Vecont clay loam - cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common medium and fine roots; common fine and many medium irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
Btk1--14 to 27 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly effervescent; few fine distinct pink (5YR 7/4) irregular accumulations of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
Btk2--27 to 41 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular and angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; common fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; strongly effervescent; common fine distinct light brown (7.5YR 6/4) irregular and soft accumulations of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Btk3--41 to 60 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; few manganese coatings on faces of peds; few faint clay films bridging mineral grains and lining pores; strongly effervescent; few fine distinct light brown (7.5YR 6/4) irregular and soft accumulations of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Maricopa County Arizona; 1,440 feet north and 100 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 14, T. 1 S., R. 6 E.
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. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 72 to 80 degrees F.
Rock Fragments: 0 to 10 percent
Salinity: None to very slightly
A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
B horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: Clay, clay loam, silty clay, sandy clay loam
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vecont soils are on basin floors and have slopes less than 1 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed sources. Elevation ranges from 100 to 2,700 feet. The mean annual air temperature is 70 to 78 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 3 to 10 inches. The frost-free period is 220 to 350 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing Contine soils, these are the Mohall, Trix, Estrella and Glenbar soils. Glenbar soils are fine-silty. Mohall, Trix and Estrella soils are fine-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Vecont soils are used for irrigated cropland and livestock grazing. The present vegetation is mesquite, bursage, creosotebush, tobosa, threeawn, desert saltbush, annual grasses and weeds.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. This series is of moderate extent. MLRA is 40.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eastern Maricopa and Northern Pinal Counties Area, Arizona; 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 14 inches (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 14 to 60 inches (Btk1, Btk2, Btk3 horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.