LOCATION CACIQUE NM+AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Argic Petrocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Cacique sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; generally massive with some weak medium platy structure in upper part; slightly hard, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine irregular pores; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 6 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; few insect burrows, 2 to 10 mm in diameter, some empty and some filled with fine earth; clay coatings on sand grains; generally noneffervescent with few discontinuous effervescent areas; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--6 to 12 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; few insect burrows, 2 to 10 mm in diameter, some empty and some filled with fine earth; sand grains have coatings of clay; generally noneffervescent with a few discontinuous areas that are effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Btk1--12 to 19 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores, lined with calcium carbonate; common calcium carbonate filaments on faces of peds; insect burrows, 2 to 10 mm in diameter, a few partially empty but most filled with fine earth; clay coatings on sand grains; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
Btk2--19 to 25 inches; mixed reddish brown (5YR 5/4) and pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) and pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores, some lined with calcium carbonate; common calcium carbonate nodules and filaments; sand grains in reddish brown parts coated with clay; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bkm1--25 to 34 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/4) and very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate-cemented material, pink (7.5YR 7/4) and very pale brown (10YR 8/3) moist; alternating subhorizons, 1 mm to 5 cm thick of laminar calcium carbonate and massively cemented, nonlaminar material; very weak, very coarse prisms, several feet in diameter; extremely hard; stains of reddish yellow (5YR 7/6) and reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) occur in upper part, primarily along cleavage planes but in places penetrating the cemented material; sand grains separated by calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 35 inches thick)
Bkm2--34 to 57 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate-cemented material, very pale brown (10YR 8/3) moist; weak very coarse prisms, several feet in diameter; extremely hard; sand grains separated by calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 36 inches thick)
Bk1--57 to 76 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate nodules, very pale brown (10YR 8/3) moist; medium and very coarse subangular blocky structure; nodules are very and extremely hard, and are discontinuously cemented together into clusters; small amounts of internodular material is pink (7.5YR 8/4), light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; and is a sandy loam, single grained and loose; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--76 to 102 inches; about 70 percent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate nodules, very pale brown (10YR 8/3) moist; medium and very coarse subangular blocky structure; very and extremely hard; about 30 percent pink (7.5YR 8/4) sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive and soft; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bk3--102 to 118 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, discontinuous carbonate coatings on sand grains; few calcium carbonate nodules, very pale brown (10YR 8/2), range from hard to extremely hard; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C--118 to 130 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft; few slightly effervescent zones; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; south bank of trench, 1/10 mile east of northeast taxiway, Las Cruces Municipal Airport; NE 1/4 of section 23, T.23 S., R.1 W. 106 degrees, 54 minutes, 41 seconds west longitude; 32 degrees, 17 minutes, 45 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during December through April and for more than 20 days cumulative during July through September. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 60 to 66 degrees F.
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 20 to 40 inches
A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, sandy clay loam (18 to 35 percent clay)
Bkm horizon
Usually 2 to 3 feet thick but ranges from a few inches to about 6 feet. The Bkm horizon is penetrated by scattered pipes into which the Bt descends. Pipes which in cross section are cone shaped range from a few inches to 20 feet or more in diameter.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Castaneda (AZ), Foxtrot (NM), and Winterton (CA) series. Castaneda and Winerton soils soils are in the Mohave Desert (MLRA 30) receive mostly winter precipitation and are usually dry from April through November. Foxtrot soils have a calcic horizon above the petrocalcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Cacique soils formed in sandy sediments of level or nearly level basin floors that date from mid-Pleistocene time. Sediments underlying the Bk horizon are mainly sand with a few gravel or in places the Bk horizon is underlain by a paleosol. Elevation is 4,000 to 5,500 feet. The annual air temperature is 58 to 65 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches with a summer maximum. The frost- free period is 180 to 220 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Terino, Cruces, Berino, Dona Ana, Kermit, and Simona soils. Berino, Dona Ana, and Kermit soils do not have a petrocalcic horizon. Simona soils do not have a Bt horizon. Cruces and Terino soils have a petrocalcic horizon at depths less than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat and others are idle. Vegetation is scattered snakeweed and mesquite in places with clumps of dropseed, tobosa, or black grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico. It is of moderate extent. MLRA is 40 and 42.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; 1973.
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 2 to 25 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btk1, Btk2 horizons)
Petrocalcic horizon - The zone from 25 to 57 inches (Bkm1, Bkm2 horizons)
This series represents an identified soil within the Desert Soil-Geomorphology Project, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The project was a study of soils and geomorphology in an arid and semi-arid environment. The series is extensively referenced in many documents, publications and thesis. Revision outside the project area is discouraged in order to preserve the historical concept for research.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999