LOCATION APAREJO NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aridic Ustifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Aparejo silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) silt loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and fine and few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
C1--2 to 18 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) silty clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium, fine and very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate is disseminated; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
C2--18 to 60 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) dominantly silt loam with thin strata of fine sandy loam and very fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate is disseminated; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Cibola County, New Mexico; Mesa Aparejo Quadrangle; about 3 miles northwest of Mesa Aparejo; 400 feet north and 2,165 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 28, T. 6 N R 3 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Continuously moist, in most years, in some part of the soil moisture control section November through April and intermittently moist July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature - 50 to 56 degrees F.
Control section - Texture: Stratified silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam and sandy clay loam. Lenses of sand to silt less than 1 inch thick occur.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: More than 15 percent.
A horizon -
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6
Texture: silt loam, clay loam or clay.
C horizon -
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Haverson (CO), Hickman (NM), Hysham (MT), Ramper (CO) and Rockypoint (WY) series. Haverson, Hickman, Ramper, and Rockypoint soils have 7.5YR or yellower hues. Hysham soils are strongly or very strongly alkaline with pH greater than 8.5. In addition, Haverson, Hysham, and Rockypoint soils are in LRR-G and are more moist in May and June.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Aparejo soils formed in alluvium from sandstone and shale and are on flood plains and alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. Elevations range from 6,100 to 7,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 13 to 16 inches and the mean annual temperature is 49 to 54 degrees F. The frost-free period is 115 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Atarque, Bond, Flugle, Galestina, Hagerman, Laporte, Nogal, Penistaja, Rizozo, Rana, Teco and Venadito series. Atarque, Bond, Flugle, Galestina, Hagerman, Nogal, Penistaja and Teco soils have argillic horizons. Laporte and Rizozo soils have lithic contacts within 20 inches. Rana and Venadito soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow and slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and as irrigated farmland. Present native vegetation is alkali sacaton, blue grama, burrograss, fourwing saltbush and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central New Mexico. MLRA 35 LRR-D. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cibola County, New Mexico, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 2 inches. (A horizon)
Entisol feature - Lack of diagnostic horizons.
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.