LOCATION ZENIFF AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Zeniff loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A1--0 to 6 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) when moist; weak fine platy to moderate fine crumb structure; soft, very friable; many plant roots; many fine irregular pores between aggregates when dry; moderately permeable; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick.)
A2--6 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) when moist; moderate coarse and medium platy structure, breaking to coarse and medium platelets; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; moderately permeable; many plant roots; many fine pores between aggregates when dry; noncalcareous; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary (3 to 6 inches thick).
B1t--14 to 28 inches; similar in color to the horizon above; loam, with a few thin patchy clay films on ped surfaces; weak coarse to very coarse prisms that break to weak coarse subangular blocky aggregates; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few plant roots; few fine pores; moderately permeable; noncalcareous; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
B2t--28 to 47 inches; similar in color to the horizon above, heavy loam; few thin patchy clay films on ped faces; moderate, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard to very hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few plant roots; few to many fine pores; dominantly noncalcareous but slightly calcareous in spots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 20 inches thick)
B3t--47 to 60 inches; similar in color to the horizon above, silt loam with few thin patchy clay films on ped faces; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard to hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots and few fine pores; dominantly noncalcareous but mildly calcareous in places; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Near the N 1/4 corner, Sec. 28, T12N, R18E. This is about 1/4 mile north of the small town of Arapine.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic ustic moisture regime.
A horizon
Texture: fine sandy loam to loam and that of the B2 horizon from loam to fine sandy clay loam.
Organic matter content: Organic matter content is about 1 1/2 percent in the A1 and decreases gradually with depth.
B horizon
Clay films: range from thin and patchy to thick and continuous on ped faces.
In some places the entire soil is noncalcareous
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Herrada (NM), Manuelito (NM), Savoia (NM), Vibo (NM) and Zunalei (NM) series. Herrada soils have a lithic contact at 91 inches. Manuelito soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Savoia soils are inactive. Vibo soils receive less than 16 inches of precipitation and mean annual temperature are above 49 degrees and are in LRR-E.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Smooth, gently sloping with about half of the area having less than 1 percent slopes, nearly half having 1 to 3 percent, and a small portion with slopes between 3 and 10 percent. The Zeniff soils occur at elevations between 5,500 and 6,500 feet where the climate is continental, summers mild, winters cool, the January average temperature 35 degrees F., July 70 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature 50 degrees F. The growing season averages 117 days, and the mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Zeniff and Showlow soils are associated geographically. Showlow soils differ in having more distinct textural profiles with strong contrast between A and B horizons, and with thick continuous clay films on ped surfaces in the B horizon. Their B horizons are usually of hue 2.5YR or 5YR. Heber and Leonard soils are developing in parent materials similar to those of Zeniff, but are Alluvial soils, lacking textural B horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is very slow to slow depending upon vegetative cover, slope, and amount of moisture in the soil; permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for range or pasture. A small portion of this soil is used for dry farming with grain being produced; a few areas are irrigated where alfalfa, grain and vegetables are produced and very good yields reported. The rest is used for range and the carrying capacity is good. Some juniper, ponderosa pine with considerable blue and hairy grama, some weeds and herbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Much of this soil occurs in the vicinity of Linden, Arapine, and small areas are near and north of Clay Springs, Arizona. Zeniff soils are moderately extensive in some places in northern Arizona and possibly in Utah. MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Navajo County Soil Survey area, Navajo County, Arizona, 1957.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 14 inches. (A horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 14 to 60 inches. (Bt horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.