LOCATION CANONEROS NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Canoneros very cobbly loam--in rangeland on a northwest facing slope of 3 percent at an elevation of 8,330 feet. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) very cobbly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, friable, slight sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots, few fine irregular pores; 10 percent basalt gravel, 25 percent basalt cobbles, 5 percent basalt stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 8 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; common prominent clay films coating faces of peds; 8 percent basalt gravel and 2 percent basalt cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--8 to 13 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) clay, very dusky red (2.5YR 2.5/2) moist; strong very fine and fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films coating faces of peds; 10 percent basalt gravel and 2 percent basalt cobbles with many soft weathered basalt fragments; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt irregular boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 4 to 17 inches.)
R--13 inches; basalt
TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; Marquez Quadrangle; 4 miles northwest of Marquez, New Mexico; 107 degrees 20 minutes 46 seconds west longitude, 35 degrees 21 minutes 38 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The SMCS is usually moist, in some part, for more than 90 cumulative days from May through October. It is usually dry, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 42 to 47 degrees F
Particle size control section: Averages 35 to 50 percent clay with less than 35 percent rock fragments.
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 20 inches to basalt
Mollic epipedon thickness: 10 to 20 inches
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent total range (mostly basalt with some cinders)
5 to 15 percent gravel
0 to 25 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
Bt horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2.5 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay loam or clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent total range (mostly basalt with some cinders)
0 to 10 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Chilson series. Chilson soils formed in sandstone and shale bedrock of the Moenkopi formation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Canoneros soils formed in eolian and slope alluvium over residuum derived from basalt (associated with the Mt. Taylor and Mesa Chivato volcanic fields) and are on lava plateaus and cinder cones. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 7,800 to 9,000 feet. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches. The frost free period is 90 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Montillo and Tsoodzil soils on lava plateaus and cinder cones; and the Seco and Chivato soils on valley floors and playas. The Montillo soils are moderately deep to basalt. The Tsoodzil, Seco, and Chivato soils are all very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high to very high runoff, and slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This series is used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is Arizona fescue, blue grama, bottlebrush squirreltail, mountain muhly, prairie junegrass, muttongrass, fringed sage, and horsebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central, New Mexico. MLRA 39, LRR-D. This series is of moderate 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:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 13 inches. (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons.
Argillic horizon: The zone from 2 to 13 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact: 13 inches--basalt. (R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.