LOCATION ARMIJO NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Haplotorrerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Armijo clay loam, idle land. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly saline; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)
A2--3 to 11 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; strong, coarse, subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly saline; moderately calcareous; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear boundary, (6 to 11 inches)
AC--11 to 28 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; intersecting slickensides; strongly saline; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline; clear common boundary. (0 to 25 inches thick)
C1--28 to 33 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly saline; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
C2--33 to 60 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) sandy clay, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly saline; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline; diffuse smooth boundary. (26 to 35 inches thick)
2C3--60 to 73 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) clay loam with pockets of fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine tubular pores; moderately saline; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline
TYPE LOCATION: Valencia County, New Mexico; northwest corner of the City of Belen; 300 feet west of Castillo Chapel.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soils are usually dry in the soil moisture control section, but are intermittently moist in some part in the 120 days following the summer solstice. Typic aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature 61 to 66 degrees F,
Depth to 2C horizon is - 40 inches or more.
Iron mottles or stain occur below 30 inches in some pedons
Control section - 10 to 40 inches is calcareous throughout
Reaction - slightly to strongly saline and slightly to very strongly alkaline; however, some pedons are nonsaline and nonalkali
A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry or moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, loam or clay
Structure: strong medium angular blocky to weak fine subangular blocky
AC horizon, (when present)
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry or moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay, silty clay or clay loam, and in some pedons of sandy clay Structure: moderate fine or medium blocky and weak fine or medium subangular blocky
Reaction: ranges from moderately to very strongly alkaline
C horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR and 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry or moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay or silty clay.
Reaction: moderately to very strongly alkaline and nonsaline to strongly saline
2C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry or moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam or sandy loam.
Reaction: moderately to strongly alkaline, nonsaline to strongly saline and slightly to moderately calcareous
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Dalby (TX),
Globe (NM),
Montoya (NM), and
Reefridge (CA) series.
Dalby soils have Bk horizons.
Globe soils are on depressional lake plains on basin floors.
Montoya soils receive greater than 10 inches precipitation, contain hues of 2.5YR.
Reefridge soils are not intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during the 120 days following the summer solstice.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Armijo soils are on broad, usually channeled, floodplains or concave terraces around playas. Elevations range from 3,700 to 5,400 feet. Slopes are commonly 0 to 1 percent ranging to 3 percent. The soils formed in clayey alluvium in areas of oxbow lakes and sloughs. At the type location the climate is semiarid continental. The average annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches with more than one-half of the total falling in June through September. The average annual air temperature is 59 to 64 degrees F. The Thornthwaite P-E Index is 14.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Agua, Anapra, Belen, Gila, Glendale, and Vinton soils. Agua, Anapra, Brazito, Gila, Glendale and Vinton soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section and lack slickensides at 10 to 40 inches depth. Belen soils have contrasting texture in the 10 to 40 inch section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to slow surface runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for native pasture and irrigated crops. Tracts of this soil that receive additional water from irrigation tail water have a dense stand of alkali sacaton and saltgrass with scattered chamiza. Tracts that do not receive extra water are nearly barren and have a sparse stand of burrograss and annuals.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central New Mexico. The series is inextensive. MLRA 42
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Valencia County (East Valencia Area), New Mexico, 1970.
REMARKS: This soil setting is along drainage and flood plain and associated with fluventic soils. Should this soil be classified as a Vertic Torrifluvents?
Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizon)
Particle size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the A2, AC, C1, and C2 horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.