LOCATION CELSOSPRINGS NM

Established Series
RD: CEM/WRJ/RJA
12/2022

CELSOSPRINGS SERIES

Celsosprings soils consist of deep, well drained slowly permeable soils that formed in alluvium derived from basalt, rhyolite, or andesite. Celsosprings soils are on fan terraces and mesa tops. Slopes range from 1 to 10 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Celsosprings loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; 5 percent pebbles; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bt1--3 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse and medium blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 16 inches thick)

Bt2--7 to 13 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong coarse and medium blocky and moderate fine prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine, common very fine and medium roots; common thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)

Bt3--13 to 26 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) cobbly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 21 inches thick)

C1--26 to 33 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; 15 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 18 inches thick)

C2--33 to 60 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; 5 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Catron County, New Mexico; about 7 miles west of Oldhorse Springs in the NW 1/4, NE 1/4, sec. 35, T. 4 S., R. 15 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Aridic ustic moisture regime.

Average percent clay in argillic: 35 to 45

Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline.

Percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section: 15 to 35 on a weighted average.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam, loam or clay loam with or without gravelly, cobbly or stony phases.

Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6
Texture: clay loam or clay.

C horizon
Hue: 5YR through 10YR
Value: 3 through 5 moist
Chroma 2 through 6
Texture: loam or clay loam with or without gravelly or cobbly phases.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Abrazo (NM), Cantina (NM), Carnero (NM), Charette (NM), Concho (NM), Cueva (NM), Remunda (NM), and CELSOSPRINGS (NM) series. Abrazo, Carnero and Cueva soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Cantina, Charette, Concho, Remunda and CELSOSPRINGS soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the Bt horizon. In addition Concho soils have calcic horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Celsosprings soils are on fan terraces and mesa tops. Slopes range from 1 to 10 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,300 to 8,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free period is 115 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adman, Maia, Rudd and Smilo soils. Adman, Rudd, and Smilo have bedrock between 20 and 40 inches. Maia soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section and do not have a mollic epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for rangeland. Native vegetation includes western wheatgrass, blue grama, junegrass, sideoats grama, wolftail, pinyon and juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This series is of small extent in westcentral New Mexico. MLRA 35.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Catron County, New Mexico. 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 13 inches. (A, Bt1, Bt2 horizons)

Argillic horizon: The zone from 3 to 26 inches. (Bt horizons)

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.