LOCATION VORTEX                  AZ

Established Series
Rev. BAL/PDC
08/2012

VORTEX SERIES

The Vortex series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in sandy alluvium from sandstone. Vortex soils are on fan remnants and stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 18 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 59 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Haplustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Vortex fine sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 4 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak thin platy parting to moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)

Bw1--4 to 11 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) loamy fine sand, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine through medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 13 inches thick)

Bw2--11 to 19 inches; red (2.5YR 4/8) loamy fine sand, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)

Bw3--19 to 28 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) loamy fine sand, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine through medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

C1--28 to 40 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; common fine soft masses of manganese; many faint silt coats; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)

C2--40 to 60 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; many faint silt coats; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Yavapai County, Arizona; located about 2,230 feet north and 1,265 feet west of the southeastern corner of section 6, T. 17 N., R. 6 E.; 34 degrees, 52 minutes, 55.8 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees, 45 minutes, 55.5 seconds west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July-August and December-January. Driest during May and June. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: 59 to 62 degrees F.

Clay content: Averages 5 to 18 percent in the particle-size control section

Rock Fragments: Averages 0 to 10 percent gravel in the particle-size control section

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1.0 percent

Bw horizons
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Reaction: neutral through strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent
Organic matter content: less than 0.5 percent
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand, fine sand
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent

C horizons
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Organic matter content: less than 0.5 percent
Texture: very fine sandy loam, loam, sandy loam, fine sand
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Mobeetie (TX) and Spade (TX) series. Mobeetie soils have a dominant hue of 7.5YR or 10YR and occur on the Great Plains. Spade soils have bedrock at depths less than 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vortex soils are on fan remnants and stream terraces at elevations of 3,800 to 4,900 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from sandstone. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 60 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 220 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Turist and Sedona soils. Sedona soils have argillic horizons and Turist soils have cambic horizons and are shallow to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow runoff; rapid or moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife habitat and urban land. Vegetation includes Wrights eriogonum, threeawn, mesquite; soaptree yucca, prickly pear, and turbinella oak.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Arizona. Vortex soils are of very limited extent. MLRA is 38. Name is derived from the alleged existence of certain paranormal phenomenon in the area.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yavapai County, Arizona; Soil survey of Black Hills-Sedona Area, Arizona, Parts of Coconino and Yavapai Counties; 1996.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 4 inches (A horizon)

Cambic horizon - The zone from 4 to 28 inches (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3 horizons)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Eleventh Edition, 2010

Revised for the correlation of Black Hills-Sedona, AZ, August 2012, CEM

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.