LOCATION ATARQUE NM+UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Atarque fine sandy loam rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and fine roots; common very fine and few fine pores; few moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and in pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--9 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine irregular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and in pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
2R--16 inches; sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Cibola County, New Mexico; Broom Mountain Quadrangle; about 3.75 miles southeast of Broom Mountain, 725 feet west and 600 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 27, T. 5 N., R. 7 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: the SMCS is usually moist, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days from April through October. It is usually dry, in some part, for more than 120 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through March, but not moist in all parts for 45 consecutive days from January through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Aridic ustic moisture regime
Soil temperature: 50 to 55 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock: 4 to 20 inches
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam
B horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam, with appropriate modifier
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Secondary calcium carbonate is not present
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arabrab (CO), Pescado (NM), and Simitarq (NM), Valena (AZ) Uva(T), and Verite (AZ) series. Arabrab soils are moist in April and early May due to snowmelt and can have secondary calcium carbonate. Pescado soils are inactive. Simitarq soils have more than 35 percent clay in the lower argillic horizons. Valena soils formed from granite, particle size control section contain more than 50 percent sand and more than 5 percent 2 to 5 mm gravel size fragments. Verite and Uva soils have typic ustic soil moisture regimes
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Atarque soils are on mesas, cuestas, dipslopes, hills and knolls. The soils formed in eolian and residuum material and slope alluvium derived from sandstone, limestone and shale. Slopes range from 1 to 45 percent. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 54 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. The frost-free period is 100 to 150 days. The elevation ranges from 5,000 to 7,500 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Catman, Celacy, Flugle, Goesling, and Hickman soils. Catman, Flugle, Goesling and Hickman soils are deep. Celacy soils have lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. Present vegetation is blue grama, black grama and scattered oneseed juniper and pinyon trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central New Mexico and southern Utah. MLRA 35 LRR-D. The 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 0 to 2 inches (A horizon). When colors meet the requirements of a mollic epipedon, the horizon is less than 4 inches thick.
Argillic horizon - the zone from 2 to 16 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact - the boundary at 16 inches (2R horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.
Revisions and updates for competing series section.