LOCATION CALAVERAS NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Calaveras silt loam--forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
E--4 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and medium roots; 10 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 29 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 17 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common coarse roots; 3 percent stones, 20 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2Bt1--17 to 30 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common coarse roots; few thin patchy clay films on rock fragments; 5 percent stones, 20 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)
2Bt2--30 to 39 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse roots; many clay films bridging sand grains and many thick clay films occur on tops of rock fragments; 5 percent stones, 30 percent cobbles, and 30 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 21 inches thick)
3Bt3--39 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse roots; clay bridging sand grains; 10 percent stones, 30 percent cobbles, and 20 percent gravel; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico; about 12 miles west of Los Alamos; Baca Location, Valles Caldera; 100 feet east of road form point; .1 mile south of movie set on main ranch road. New Mexico state plane coordinates N. 1,774,310 and E. 423,065; 106 degrees, 30 minutes, 34 seconds west longitude; 35 degrees, 52 minutes, 57 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is moist in some part during the time that the soil temperature is above 42 degrees F. It is dry in some part for greater than 90 cumulative days. The soil is driest in May and June. Typic ustic moisture subclass.
Mean annual soil temperature: 44 to 47 degrees F.
Rock fragment content: 10 to 85 percent, 0 to 50 percent stones or cobbles and 15 to 50 percent gravel
Base saturation: 75 to 100 percent within 30 inches of the surface.
Volcanic glass content: 5 to 20 percent in the coarse silt plus sand fraction
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 70 percent
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 through 7 dry, 2 through 5 moist
Chroma: 1 through 4
Texture: silt loam, loam or very gravelly sandy loam
Reaction: Moderately acid to neutral
E horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture (fine earth fraction): silt loam and sandy clay loam.
Reaction: Moderately acid to neutral
2Bt and 3Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture (fine-earth fraction): silt loam, loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam or coarse sandy loam In some pedons, loamy coarse sand occurs below depths of 35 inches.
Reaction: Moderately acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Kadygulch,
Kingspoint,
Mowbray,
Pathead,
Repkie,
Repp,
Specie,
Wilde, and
Wilspring series.
Kadygulch and Repkie soils - have mean annual soil temperatures less than 44 degrees F.
Kingspoint, Mowbray, Repp, and Specie soils - have horizons of secondary carbonates
Pathead, Wilde, and Wilspring soils - have a lithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Calaveras series is on canyon and mountain sides, with slopes ranging from 5 to 80 percent. They occur at elevations of 8,500 to 10,000 feet. They formed in medium textured material weathered from tuff and dacite. The mean annual temperature is about 40 to 45 degrees F., mean annual precipitation is about 20 to 25 inches, and the frost-free period is about 60 to 115 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Redondo and Cosey soils. The Redondo soils have a cryic temperature regime, and the Cosey soils have a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland and wildlife. Present vegetation is Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, limber pine, white fir, aspen, common juniper, spike muhly, big squirreltail, and nodding brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High mountainous areas of northcentral New Mexico. MLRA 48A. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sandoval County, New Mexico, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to a depth of 4 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from about 4 to 39 inches. (E, Bw, 2Bt1, and 2Bt2 horizons). Cambic horizon has argillans in most pedons, but lacks clay increase to qualify as argillic horizon.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the E, the Bw, 2Bt1, 2Bt2, and part of the 3Bt3 horizon)
The 2/2002 revision changes the subgroup classification from Mollic Hapludalfs to Typic Haplustepts. NSSL data does not support an argillic horizon, and the moisture regime was judged to be ustic rather than udic. When established in 1987 the subgroup classification was Dystric Eutrochrepts.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Sampled for characterization as Pedon No. S78NM-043-1(1-6) National Soil Survey Laboratory Pedon No. 78P-3695 to 3700.