LOCATION BIKEYAH NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bikeyah loam -- rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was dry from 0 to 14 inches, moist from 14 to 53 inches, and wet from 53 to 65 inches.)
A--0 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
AB--5 to 14 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
Bw1--14 to 22 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) redox concentrations; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Bw2--22 to 29 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; common fine and medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) redox concentrations; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 19 inches thick)
BCg--29 to 41 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; many medium and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) redox concentrations and common medium distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) redox depletions; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; few laminae of sandy clay; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 23 inches thick)
Cg1--41 to 53 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; common fine and medium prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) redox concentrations and few fine prominent gray (5Y 5/1) redox depletions; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few laminae of sandy clay; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (11 to 16 inches thick)
Cg2--53 to 65 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; common medium prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) redox concentrations and few fine faint gray (10YR 6/1) redox depletions; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few laminae of sandy clay; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, New Mexico; on the Navajo Indian Reservation about 7 miles southwest of Toadlena; 1,400 feet east and 1,400 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 13, T.22N., R.20W.; Latitude 36 degrees 8 minutes 38 seconds N and Longitude 108 degrees 55 minutes 47 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Typically, the soil moisture control section (SMCS) is moist in all parts from January to July and intermittently moist in some part from July to October. The SMCS is moist in all parts greater than 40 percent of the time (cumulative), when the soil temperature at 20 inches is 41 degrees F or higher. Typic ustic moisture regime based on precipitation.
Depth to seasonal high water table - 2.0 to 3.5 feet; present between April and June
Soil temperature - 42 to 44 degrees F.
Reaction - moderately acid to slightly acid
Silicate clay content, control section weighted average - 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent gravel
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 35 inches
A horizon
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Organic carbon content: 1 to 2 percent
AB horizon
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Organic carbon content: 1 to 2 percent
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam
Bw horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 through 6 dry, 2 through 5 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist
Organic carbon content: 0.5 to 1 percent
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Redoximorphic features: few to common, fine to medium, faint to prominent, dark brown, strong brown or yellowish red redox concentrations
BC horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Organic carbon content: less than 0.5 percent
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Redoximorphic features: common to many, fine to coarse, distinct to prominent, strong brown or yellowish brown redox concentrations, and dark gray redox depletions; strong gleying is also present in horizons with a dominant matrix chroma of 2
Other features: some pedons have thin strata or laminae of clay loam or sandy clay
C horizons
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Organic carbon content: less than 0.5 percent
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Redoximorphic features: few to common, fine to medium, faint to prominent, strong brown or olive yellow redox concentrations, and dark gray or gray redox depletions; strong gleying is also present in horizons with a dominant matrix chroma of 2
Other features: some pedons have thin strata or laminae of clay loam or sandy clay
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bikeyah soils are on toeslopes of undulating high plateaus and mesas. They formed in alluvium derived from Tertiary sandstone. Slopes range from 1 to 15 percent. Elevation ranges from 8,400 to 9,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 22 inches with more than 50 percent falling as snow from winter storms. The mean annual air temperature is 40 to 42 degrees F. The average frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Akhoni, Berland, Captom, Klizhin, and Retaw soils. Akhoni soils are shallow to sandstone and occur on broad summits. Berland soils are very shallow to sandstone and occur on adjacent knolls and benches. Captom soils lack mollic epipedons and occur on steep backslopes. Klizhin soils are well drained, wooded, and occur on footslopes below Captom soils. Retaw soils are very poorly drained and have standing water on the surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Bikeyah soils are used for livestock grazing. Present vegetation is Kentucky bluegrass, sedges, timothy, western yarrow, and silverweed cinquefoil.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bikeyah soils are of small extent on the Defiance Uplift-Chuska Mountains portion of the Colorado Plateau Province in northwest New Mexico and northeast Arizona. LRR-D; MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Shiprock Area, Parts of San Juan County, New Mexico and Apache County, Arizona; 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 29 inches (A, AB, Bw1, and Bw2 horizons)
Aquic conditions - saturation, reduction, and redoximorphic features present between 20 and 65 inches (BCg, Cg1, and Cg2 horizons)
Classification changed from Pachic subgroup to Aquic subgroup in 2006. This change was made to be consistent with the Aquic conditions described.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Organic carbon values are estimated.
Updates and revisions for MLRA consistency, February 26, 2008, DWD.