LOCATION BETONNIE NM AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Betonnie fine sandy loam -- rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and few fine roots; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
BA--2 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt--4 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; clay bridging sand grains and few thin clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
BC--12 to 18 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
C1--18 to 34 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear gradual boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C2--34 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico; about 15 miles south of Counselor; 500 feet south, and 2,400 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 29, T. 22 N, R. 6 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Usually dry, typically is dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section from April 15 to July 1. Moist in some part periodically from July 1 through October. Moist intermittently from November to April 15. Driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 48 to 55 degrees F.
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline
A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 to 6 dry, 3 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6, dry and moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam
C horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, loamy sand, sandy loam
Other features: Some pedons have Bk horizons and some have C horizon containing thin strata of loamy sand
COMPETING SERIES: Competitors are the Bijou (CO), Davishat (NM), Marena (NM), Terro (WY), Terry (CO), Tintero (NM), and Vonalee (WY) series. Bijou, Davishat, Terro, Terry, and Vonalee soils are moist in the soil moisture control section during May and June. Marena soils are inactive for unknown reasons. Tintero soils are inactive due to duplication of the Bentonnie concept.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Betonnie soils are on fan terraces, mesas, cuestas, valley sides, hills, ridges and plateaus. They formed in alluvium, fan alluvium, slope alluvium, and eolian material derived from sandstone. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevation is 5,500 to 7,300 feet. Mean annual air temperature is 46 to 53 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is typically 10 to 14 inches. The frost-free period is 100 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Doakum soils. Doakum soils have more than 18 percent clay in the argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and somewhat excessively drained; very low to low runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The Betonnie soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Indian ricegrass, blue grama, dropseed, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern New Mexico and Northeastern Arizona. MLRA 35, LRR-D. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sandoval County, New Mexico, 1987.
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 4 to 12 inches (Bt horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
Updates and revisions for the correlation of Ft. Defiance Area (AZ715), February 26, 2008, DWD.