LOCATION AGUA FRIA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Paleargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Agua Fria gravelly loam--on an erosional fan remnant sloping 1 percent to the south at 6,305 feet elevation--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was dry throughout.)
AE--0 to 3 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate very thick platy structure parting to weak medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, common fine, and common very fine roots; common very fine vesicular pores; common uncoated sand and silt grains (skeletans) as spots on undersides of plates; few 1 to 2 millimeter wide cracks; 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 or 3 inches thick)
Bt--3 to 7 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine angular blocky; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and common very fine roots; few fine and few very fine irregularly shaped pores; few, 1 to 2 millimeter wide cracks; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 or 5 inches thick)
Btk1--7 to 13 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and common very fine roots; few medium and common fine tubular pores; common distinct and few faint clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common medium and large irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds and on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Btk2--13 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films on faces of peds and common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine and medium irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds and on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bk1--19 to 36 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) gravelly loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent, matrix is impregnated with secondary calcium carbonate; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 17 inches thick)
Bk2--36 to 53 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) gravelly loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; violently effervescent, matrix is impregnated with secondary calcium carbonate; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 17 inches thick)
Bky--53 to 61 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine irregularly shaped pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; secondary gypsum segregated as few fine crystals on faces of peds; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine and medium irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds and on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
BCyk1--61 to 69 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; secondary gypsum segregated as common fine and medium irregularly shaped clusters of crystals on very coarse sand grains and rock fragments; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few fine and medium irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds and on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
BCyk2--69 to 88 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 65 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; secondary gypsum segregated as few fine and medium irregularly shaped clusters of crystals on very coarse sand grains and rock fragments; slightly effervescent in spots, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few fine irregularly shaped coats on rock fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 29 inches thick)
C--88 to 100 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 65 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about 4 miles northeast of La Cienega; 1,200 feet south and 650 feet west of the northeast corner of section 22, T.16N., R.8E.; USGS Turquoise Hill 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 36 minutes 23 seconds North and Longitude 106 degrees 4 minutes 24.5 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is intermittently moist in some part from July to October and December to March. The soils are driest in May and June. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 52 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 13 to 19 inches
Depth to calcareous material (as visible secondary calcium carbonate): 6 to 10 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 13 to 19 inches
Lithology of rock fragments: granite, gneiss, and schist
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Silicate clay content: 27 to 34 percent
Sand content: 30 to 45 percent
Fine sand and coarser content: 40 to 60 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 20 percent gravel
Mica content: 1 to 3 percent (by grain count)
AE or A horizons
(an albic horizon in some pedons)
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 15 to 20 percent gravel
Clay content: 15 to 20 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: clay loam or clay
Clay content: 35 to 42 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Btk horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Texture: gravelly clay loam or gravelly loam
Clay content: 25 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 20 percent gravel, some pedons have subhorizons with less than 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 10 percent
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 0 to 2
Sodicity, SAR: 0 to 13
Gypsum content: 0 to 1 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bk horizons
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma: 1 through 4 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Texture: gravelly loam or gravelly sandy loam
Rock fragments: total range is 15 to 35 percent
15 to 30 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 2 to 16
Sodicity, SAR: 4 to 13
Gypsum content: 0 to 1 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bky horizon
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly coarse sandy loam, or very gravelly loam
Rock fragments: total range is 35 to 60 percent
30 to 50 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 30 percent
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 4 to 16
Sodicity, SAR: 4 to 13
Gypsum content: 1 to 3 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
BCyk and C horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam to extremely gravelly coarse sand
Rock fragments: total range is 35 to 75 percent, averaging 50 to 70 percent with:
45 to 60 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 4 to 16
Sodicity, SAR: 0 to 13
Gypsum content: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Panky series. Panky soils do not have horizons with gravelly textures above 40 inches and do not have horizons with very gravelly textures between 40 and 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Agua Fria soils are on summits of erosional fan remnants. They formed in alluvium derived from Precambrian granite, gneiss, and schist; and Quaternary loess. Slopes are 1 to 4 percent. Elevation ranges from 5,600 to 6,700 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 13 inches with about 45 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 150 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Golondrina and Paraje soils and the competing Panky soil. Golondrina soils are loamy-skeletal, have mollic epipedons, and occur on backslopes and footslopes of erosional fan remnants. Paraje soils are loamy-skeletal and occur on adjacent beveled summits and shoulders of erosional fan remnants.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; permeability is slow in the upper part and moderately rapid to very rapid in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Agua Fria soils are used for urban development, livestock grazing, and recreation. The historic climax vegetation is blue grama, galleta, ring muhly, oneseed juniper, sand dropseed, and threeawn. The ecological site is Cinder(R036XB117NM).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Agua Fria soils are of small extent on the southeastern Espanola Basin part of the Basin and Range province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 36.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County (Santa Fe Area), New Mexico, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the soil surface to 3 inches. (AE horizon)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 3 to 19 inches. (Bt, Btk1, and Btk2 horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 19 to 53 inches. (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 3 to 19 inches (the entire argillic horizon)
Paleargid great group: There is a clay increase of 15 percent or more (absolute) within one inch at the upper boundary of the argillic horizon. (AE and Bt horizons)
The 11/2006 revision moves the typical pedon to the pedon used in the update survey of the Santa Fe Area. The classification was also revised from fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Ustollic Haplargids to fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Paleargids. The series range in characteristics was re-written to comprise only the Agu Fria soils in the Santa Fe update survey.
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.