LOCATION BLANCA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Blanca sandy loam, range. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine interstitial and common tubular pores; 5 percent gravel, 3 percent cobble, 3 percent stone; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
A2--7 to 16 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 5 percent angular acid igneous gravel, 5 percent cobble, 2 percent stone; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
AB--16 to 25 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent coarse angular acid igneous gravel, 20 percent cobble, 20 percent stone; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Bw--25 to 40 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel, 30 percent cobble, 30 percent stone; slightly acid; gradual irregular boundary. (15 to 24 inches thick)
C--40 to 54 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly loamy sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; structureless; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine and medium interstitial pores; 10 percent angular acid igneous gravel, 35 percent cobble, 35 percent stone; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; on the eastern slope about 300 feet from the ridge top in the saddle between Sierra Blanca and Ski Lookout Vista; 850 feet south of the north boundary of the Mescalero-Apache Indian Reservation; about 850 feet south of the north 1/4 corner of sec. 4, T.11S., R.11E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Coarse fragments: typically is about 60 percent but ranges from 35 to 85 percent of which the stone fragments predominate.
Average annual soil temperature: 32 degrees to 40 degrees F.
Soil moisture: These soils are usually moist in the 8 to 24 inch section with the driest period occurring during April through June. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Mollic epipedon: 16 to 38 inches thick
Reaction: medium acid or slightly acid.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
3 to 6 percent organic matter.
AC horizon
Hue of 7.5YR or 10YR
Value of 3 to 5 dry and 2 to 4 moist
Chroma of 2 to 3 dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy loam containing less than 18 percent clay modified by cobbles.
C horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, and 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5 dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam to loamy sand with gravel, cobble, and stone content increasing with depth.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Caballo (NM), Garber (CO), Hidatsa (ND), Lolo (MT), Mescalero (NM), Osha (NM), and Utso (UT)series. Caballo soils have 18 percent or more clay in the control section. Garber soils have hue of 5YR and 10YR. Lolo soils have gravel throughout the solum. Hidatsa and Lolo soils have hue of 10YR or yellow. Mescalero soils have bedrock at depth of 20 to 40 inches. Osha and Utso soils have a lithic contact within 40 to 60 inches. In addition, Garber, Hidatsa and Lolo soils are moist in April, May and June and are in LRR-E, F, and G.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Blanca soils are on moderately steep to steep high mountain saddles and side slopes at elevations of 10,000 to 12,000 feet. The soils formed in sediments derived mostly from mixed, fine grained, acid igneous formations. These soils occur in a moist subhumid continental climate. The mean annual precipitation is about 26 inches at the type location with a maximum falling as winter snows and late summer rains. The average annual temperature is about 32 degrees to 40 degrees F. and the average summer temperature of about 55 degrees F. The Thornthwaite P-E Index is about 50 to 65.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Negita soils and the Sieancia soils. Sieancia soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; rapid runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly for wildlife, recreation, and watershed. Limited use for native range and woodland. Principal native vegetation is mountain muhly, mountain brome, fescue spp., scattered spruce trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of south central New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Otero County (Mescalero-Apache Area), New Mexico, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 40 inches (A, Bw horizons)
Cambic horizon - The zone from 25 to 40 inches (Bw horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003