LOCATION DARVEY NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Darvey loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and few very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--6 to 20 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--20 to 31 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear irregular boundary. (combined thickness of Bw horizons is 7 to 30 inches)
Bk1--31 to 38 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; many calcium carbonate accumulations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual irregular boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bk2--38 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent; many calcium carbonate accumulations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, New Mexico; about 1.4 miles southeast of the old Owens Ranch headquarters on dirt road; 20 feet south of road; in the northeast quarter, sec. 29, T. 5 S., R. 17 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in the soil moisture control section May through October and December through February. The soil moisture control section is moist for longer periods of time during the summer than the winter.
Soil Temperature: 48 to 59 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 24 to 35 inches.
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam or clay loam
Bw horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam or clay loam
Bk horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5
Texture: loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Calcium carbonate: 15 to 50 percent with more than 5 percent visible carbonates.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Abra (AZ), Bighams (AZ), Bowdish (CO), Copeman (WY), Creel (NM), Harvey (NM), Hernandez (NM), Honlu (UT), Numa (CO) and Pultney (CO) series. Abra soils do not have a cambic horizon and have a calcic horizon at a depth of less than 20 inches. Bighams, Bowdish, Creel, and Pultney soils have a lithic or paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Copeman, Harvey, and Honlu soils have a calcic horizon at a depth of less than 24 inches. Hernandez soils are 9 to 12 inches deep to the calcic horizon. Numa soils do not have a cambic horizon and in addition are moist for longer periods in the spring.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Darvey soils are on hills, fan terraces and valley fills. Slope is 0 to 5 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived from calcareous sandstone and shale and limestone. The elevation is 4,500 to 6,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 13 inches, but has ranged to 17 inches in the past. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 48 to 59 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 150 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Asparas, Deama, La Fonda, Pastura, and the competing Harvey soils. Asparas soils have an argillic horizon. Deama soils are shallow to limestone. La Fonda soils lack calcic horizons. Pastura soils have petrocalcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland. The vegetation is sideoats grama, black grama, blue grama, soapweed, and sacahuista.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern and south-central New Mexico. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chaves County (North Part), New Mexico, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 6 inches. (A horizon).
Cambic horizon: The zone from 6 to 31 inches. (Bw horizons).
Calcic horizon: The zone from 31 to 60 inches. (Bk horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: NMSU Sample No. S79NM-5-1