LOCATION AQUIMA NM+AZ UT

Established Series
Rev. CEM/SAZ
10/2014

AQUIMA SERIES

The Aquima series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in alluvium, fan alluvium, and stream alluvium derived from siltstone, sandstone and shale on structural benches, fan remnants of valley sides, and stream terraces of valley floors. Mean annual precipitation is about 11 inches (279 mm), and mean annual temperature is about 52 degrees F (11.1 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Aquima silt loam--in rangeland on a west facing convex slope of 2 percent at an elevation of 6,210 feet (1893 meters). (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) silt loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak thin platy parting to weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches or 5 to 8 cm thick)

Bw--2 to 11 inches (5 to 28 cm); reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) silt loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; 7 percent calcium carbonate occurring as few fine irregular soft masses and weakly cemented concretions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches or 18 to 30 cm thick)

Bk1--11 to 17 inches (28 to 43 cm); red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 4 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; 8 percent calcium carbonate occurring as common fine and medium irregular soft masses and weakly cemented concretions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 46 to 55 inches or 117 to 140 cm)

2Bk2--17 to 26 inches (43 to 66 cm); red (2.5YR 5/6) silt loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 4 percent calcium carbonate that is disseminated; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 46 to 55 inches or 117 to 140 cm)

2Bk3--26 to 30 inches (66 to 76 cm); red (2.5YR 4/6) silt loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots, common fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; 5 percent calcium carbonate occurring as few fine irregular soft masses and weakly cemented concretions; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 46 to 55 inches or 117 to 140 cm )

2Bk4--30 to 33 inches (76 to 84 cm); red (2.5YR 4/6) silt loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist, massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; 4 percent calcium carbonate that is disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 46 to 55 inches or 117 to 140 cm)

3Bk5--33 to 45 inches (84 to 114 cm); red (2.5YR 4/6) silty clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist, massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 1 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; 5 percent calcium carbonate occurring as few fine irregular soft masses and weakly cemented concretions; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 46 to 55 inches or 117 to 140 cm)

3Bk6--45 to 49 inches (114 to 124 cm); red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; 9 percent calcium carbonate occurring as common fine irregular soft masses and weakly cemented concretions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 46 to 55 inches or 117 to 140 cm)

3Bk7--49 to 65 inches (124 to 165 cm); red (2.5YR 4/6) gravelly clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; 8 percent calcium carbonate occurring as common fine irregular soft masses and weakly cemented concretions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 46 to 55 inches or 117 to 140 cm)

TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; Caliente Reservoir Quadrangle; about 4 miles north of Ojo Caliente on the Zuni Indian Reservation; 108 degrees 58 minutes 9 seconds west longitude, 34 degrees 58 minutes 27 seconds north latitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The SMCS is usually dry, in all parts, 105 to 160 cumulative days from April through October. It is usually moist, in some part, 50 to 105 cumulative days during the same period. It is intermittently moist in some part November through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Ustic aridic moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: 51 to 56 degrees F (10.6 to 13.3 degrees C).

Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent clay

A horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 or 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bw horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 or 6 dry, 3 or 6 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent by volume of gravel and 0 to 10 percent by volume cobbles
Percent calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bk horizon
Hue: 10R, 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 or 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry, 4 to 8 moist
Texture: loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent by volume of gravel and 0 to 10 percent by volume of cobbles
Percent calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 10
Some pedons have loamy sand and sand C horizons below 50 inches

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Atrac (NM), Bullpen (UT), La Fonda (NM), Pultney (CO), Querencia (NM), Shavano (CO) and Zigweid (WY) series. The Bullpen soils are deep to a paralithic contact. The Atrac, Querencia, and Zigweid soils have hues yellower than 5YR. The La Fonda, Pultney, and Zigweid soils are in the Western Great Plains LRR-G and are more moist in May and June. The Pultney soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. The Shavano soils are moderately deep to sandstone and shale.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Aquima soils formed in alluvium, fan alluvium, and stream alluvium derived from siltstone, sandstone and shales of the Chinle Formation and occur on fan remnants of valley sides and stream terraces of valley floors. Slopes are 1 to 5 percent. Elevations range from 5,500 to 6,800 feet (1676 to 2073 meters). The mean annual air temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. (8.3 to 12.2 degrees C), and the mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches (254 to 356 mm). The frost free period is 100 to 165 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hawaikuh and Redpen soils on terraces and valleys, the Tekapo (P) and Rizno soils on hills, mesas and ridges and the Venadito and Ojocal (P) soils on floodplains and alluvial fans. The Hawaikuh and Redpen soils have argillic horizons. The Ojocal soils lack cambic horizons. The Venadito soils are very-fine textured and the Rizno and Tekapo soils are less than 20 inches to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. Present vegetation is blue grama, galleta, alkali sacaton, western wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, fourwing saltbush, winterfat and broom snakeweed.

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: McKinley County Area, New Mexico; McKinley County and Parts of Cibola and San Juan Counties, 2001.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 2 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 2 to 11 inches (Bw horizon)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy 2nd edition 1999; and Keys to Soil Taxonomy 12th Edition, 2014.

Update and revisions for the correlation of Chinle Area (AZ713), August 2011, LJG2

Update and revisions for the correlation of the SDJR - MLRA 35 - Aquima-Hawaikuh silt loams, 1 to 5 percent slopes, September 2014 LJG2

ADDITIONAL DATA: Some lab data was incorporated from NSSL sample #S88NM-031-009. Field textures were used rather than the lab textures due to poor dispersion.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.