LOCATION METUCK AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aridic Lithic Ustorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Metuck extremely channery fine sandy loam - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 1 inch; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) extremely channery fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine platy structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine irregular pores; 70 percent gravel and channers, and 25 percent flagstones and stones; violently effervescent, 21 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bw--1 to 8 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very channery fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, few fine, and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 40 percent channers; violently effervescent, 21 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
BCk--8 to 10 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) very channery very fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; 40 percent channers, mostly decomposing sandstone; common thin calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; violently effervescent, 38 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Cr--10 to 12 inches; fractured, weathered sandstone; few fine roots and calcium carbonate coatings in fractures; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
R--12 inches; hard, calcareous sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Coconino County, Arizona; on the Hualapai Indian Reservation; 1450 feet south and 1500 feet west of the northeast corner of section 9, T. 26 N., R. 9 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during December - February and intermittently moist during July - September. Driest during May and June. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 54 to 57 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock: 4 to 17 inches, but is commonly less than 10 inches
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent
Clay content: averages less than 18 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Rock fragments: Ranges from 65 percent to 90 percent in the surface layer
Bw horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Other features: Bk horizons less than 6 inches thick are present in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Colskel (UT) and Kydestea (AZ) series. Colskel soils average 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle size control section and contain less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the particle-size control section. Kydestea soils average more than 18 percent clay and have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Metuck soils are on escarpments of mesas and plateaus at elevations of 4,500 to 5,800 feet. These soils formed in alluvium, colluvium and residuum derived dominantly from calcareous sedimentary rock. Slope ranges from 15 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 to 18 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 48 to 55 degrees F. The frost-free period is 135 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Coconino and Wodomont series. Coconino soils are moderately deep with fine-loamy control sections. Wodomont soils have a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium high runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Metuck soils are used for livestock grazing, fuelwood production, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is twoleaf pinyon, Utah juniper, Bigelow sagebrush, desert ceanothus, turbinella oak, Indian ricegrass, desert needlegrass, sideoats grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Arizona. This series is moderately extensive. MLRA 35 & 39.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coconino County, Arizona; Soil survey of Hualapai-Havasupai Area, Arizona, Parts of Coconino, Mohave and Yavapai Counties; 1993. Name is derived from Metuck Tank.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 1 inch (A horizon)
Entisol feature - The absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons
Lithic contact - The boundary at 12 inches (R horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.