LOCATION ALEGROS NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey over sandy or sandy-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Typic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Alegros cobbly loam--cleared woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy and weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; 10 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few medium, common fine and many very fine roots; thin patchy clay films on the faces of peds; 20 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--5 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few coarse and medium and common fine and very fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 13 inches thick)
Bt3--10 to 21 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common thin clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
2Bk1--21 to 34 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) extremely cobbly loamy sand, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; 40 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; violently effervescent; calcium carbonate impregnates entire horizon; 45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
2Bk2--34 to 52 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; 50 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles, and 15 percent stones; violently effervescent; lime segregated in horizontal seams, 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (18 to 31 inches thick)
3C--52 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; 50 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles, and 15 percent stones; strongly effervescent; lime disseminated, 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Catron County, New Mexico; about 11 miles north of Old Horse Springs, 6 miles southeast of Mangas and 1/4 mile north of Nester Draw in the NE 1/4, NE 1/4, NE 1/4, sec. 6, T. 3 S., R. 13 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through April and July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 47 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to Calcic Horizon: 16 to 28 inches
Percent Clay in the Control Section: 35 to 60 percent
A horizon: Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR Value: 3 through 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist Chroma: 2 through 4 Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent
Bt horizon: Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist Chroma: 4 through 6 Texture fine earth fraction: Clay loam or clay Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent
Bk horizon: Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist Chroma: 1 through 6 Texture: Sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, but is loamy sand or loamy, coarse sand immediately below the argillic horizon Rock fragments: 45 to 85 percent Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 70 percent *Note: Calcium carbonate equivalent drops below 15 percent below a depth of about 50 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Alegros soils are on plateaus and small fan terraces capped by Pleistocene to late Pliocene gravelly alluvial deposits. Slopes range from 1 to 10 percent. Elevation ranges from 7,500 to 8,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 15 to 18 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. The average frost-free period is about 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adman, Faraway, Goldust, Motoqua, Parquat, and Tolman soils. All have mollic epipedons and lack contrasting horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Alegros soils are used for grazing and wood production. Present vegetation is blue grama, pinyon, oneseed juniper, alligator juniper and Rock Mountain juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alegros soils are of small extent in west central New Mexico. MLRA 38 and 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Catron County, New Mexico, 1983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 2 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 2 to 21 inches. (Bt horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 21 to 52 inches. (Bk horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: The Alegros soil was sampled for characterization in September 1981 as pedon S81-NM-003-5.