LOCATION BREADSPRINGS NMInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustifluventic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Breadsprings loam--rangeland on a linear surface of 1 percent slope at an elevation of 6,359 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few medium roots; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bw1--3 to 7 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam, olive brown (2.5Y4/3) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and few medium roots; 1 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
Bw2--7 to 14 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; thin discontinuous stratification of very fine sand and silt loam; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 10 to 14 inches thick)
Bk--14 to 22 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) fine sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; few fine masses of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Ck1--22 to 29 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silt loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; massive with pockets of thin stratification of silt and very fine sand; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; few distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), redox concentrations; slightly effervescent; few very fine masses and filaments of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary.
Ck2--29 to 36 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; common very fine coal fragments; very slightly effervescent; few very fine masses of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary
Ck3--36 to 70 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silt loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; discontinuous stratification of fine and medium sand; common distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; very slightly effervescent; few very fine masses and filaments of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2). (The combined thickness of the Ck horizons is 0 to 38 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; Manuelito Quadrangle; about 10 miles west of Gallup, New Mexico, about 300 feet west and 500 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 36, T. 15 N., R. 20 W.; 35 degrees, 29 minutes, 35 seconds north latitude and 108 degrees, 53 minutes, 50 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 48 to 52 degrees F.
Particle size control section: 20 to 34 percent clay
Calcium carbonate equivalence: 0 to 15 percent.
Gypsum percent: 0 to 2 percent
Sodicity: SAR of 0 to 5
Salinity: EC of 0 to 3 mmhos/cm
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly alkaline in the surface to moderately alkaline in the subsoil
A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Textures: loam, sandy clay loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam
Bw and Bk horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam, or clay loam.
C, Ck, or Cky horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 to 6 dry, 2 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Redox features: When present, they range from few to common, faint to distinct, 10YR 5/6 or 6/6 redox concentrations and occur as relict features.
Texture: silt loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam or loam
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Docpar (WY) and Hickerson (UT) series. Docpar soils have a lithologic discontinuity with stratified coarse materials at 20 to 40 inches and do not have a distinct dry period in May and June. The Hickerson soils are moderately well drained and have a saturated zone between 42 and 60 inches during the months of March through October.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Breadsprings soils formed in alluvium and stream alluvium derived from sandstone and shale and are on alluvial fans and stream terraces of valley floors. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 6,100 to 6,800 feet. The mean air annual temperature is 46 to 50 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 10 to 13 inches. The frost free period is 100 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nahodish, Buckle, and Zia soils. The Nahodish soils are fine textured on stream terraces. The Buckle soils are medium textured and in drainageways and fan remnants. The moderately coarse textured Zia soils are on alluvial fans and stream terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low runoff, and moderate and moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and urban development. Present vegetation is black greasewood, alkali sacaton, blue grama, galleta, western wheatgrass, and fourwing saltbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central New Mexico. MLRA 35, LRR-D. The 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 about 0 to 3 inches. (A horizons)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 3 to 14 inches. (Bw horizons)
Cation exchange activity class was changed from active to superactive in December 2000.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.