LOCATION GROMES NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Gromes cobbly loam - woodland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 11 inches; grayish brown (10YR 6/2) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, many fine and very fine roots, few very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent pebbles; 10 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 12 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 25 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium common fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent pebbles; 20 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (12 to 16 inches thick)
C--25 to 68 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 20 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico; approximately 15.8 miles east and 2.6 miles south of Chama; New Mexico state plane coordinates are east 486,720 and north 2,122,445; 106 degrees, 17 minutes, 43 seconds west longitude; 36 degrees, 49 minutes, 58 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The soil moisture control section is moist during the winter and spring. The soil is moist in some parts of the soil moisture control section during the summer and fall.
Annual Soil Temperature: 36 to 40 degrees F.
Summer Soil Temperature: 47 to 52 degrees F.
Particle-size control section: clay content is 22 to 34 percent and rock fragments are 0 to 5 percent stones, 20 to 25 percent cobbles and 15 to 25 percent pebbles.
Reaction: Moderately acid through neutral.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: gravelly loam or cobbly loam.
Rock Fragments: 0 to 5 percent stones, 0 to 15 percent cobbles and 5 to 20 percent pebbles.
Bw horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Very cobbly clay loam or very cobbly loam.
Rock Fragments: 0 to 5 percent stones, 20 to 25 percent cobbles and 15 to 25 percent pebbles.
C horizon - Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Very cobbly clay loam or very cobbly loam.
Rock Fragments: 0 to 10 percent stones, 20 to 25 percent cobbles and 15 to 25 percent pebbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blackleed(MT), Cheshnina(AK), Elve(MT), Evaro(MT), Firada(MT), Frindle(T)(AK), Garlet(MT), Gilmore(AK), Hughes(T)(AK), Ketchum(ID), Losee(UT), Muiral(NV), Nambe(NM), Pergrin(CO), Poso(T)(ID), Scout(UT), Shadow(MT), Taglake(WY), and Targhee(T)(ID) soils. Blackleed soils have A/B horizons containing lamellae. Cheshnina, Firada, Frindle, Muiral, Pergrin and Targhee soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Elve and Shadow soils have more than 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Evaro soils have ash influenced Bs and E/B horizons. Garlet soils have Bk horizons. Gilmore soils are less than 20 inches to a lithic contact storm soils have E horizons. Hughes soils have subsoils less than 20 inches thick. Ketchum soils have A/B horizons. Losee soils have hues of 7.5YR or redder and calcareous B and C horizons. Nambe soils have sesquioxide accumulations. Poso, Scout, and Taglake soils have E or E/B horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gromes soils formed in colluvium and alluvium from metamorphic and igneous rock on mountain sideslopes and mountain tops. Slopes range from 5 to 40 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 30 to 37 inches and the mean annual air temperature is 34 to 38 degrees F. Elevation is 9,700 to 11,000 feet, and the frost-free period is 50 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Angostura, Croftshaw, Crubas and Lobat soils. Lobat soils have a frigid temperature regime. Croftshaw soils are fine-loamy. Crubas soils are fine textured. Angostura soils have a argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Gromes soils are used mainly for wood production and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is spruce-fir forest including Englemann spruce, corkbark fir, white fir, and aspen.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, 1989.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 11 inches (A horizon).
Cambic horizon - the zone from about 11 to 25 inches (Bw horizon).