LOCATION CHITA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Chita loam - Rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine continuous tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
BA--3 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine continuous tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt--5 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few medium continuous tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Btk1--10 to 16 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine continuous tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and in pores; strongly effervescent; few fine rounded calcium carbonate accumulations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 23 inches thick)
Btk2--16 to 30 inches; light brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine continuous tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; strongly effervescent; common fine irregular and rounded calcium carbonate accumulations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
Bk1--30 to 38 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine continuous tubular pores; strongly effervescent; few fine irregular calcium carbonate accumulations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Bk2--38 to 60 inches; white (10YR 8/1) gravelly sandy clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; violently effervescent; many medium and large rounded and irregular carbonate nodules and soft accumulations; 15 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico; 0.7 miles north and 1.7 miles west of Lyden; State Plane Coordinates 1,876,400 feet north and 562,900 feet east; 106 degrees, 02 minutes, 11 seconds west longitude; 36 degrees, 09 minutes, 25 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture - The soil moisture control section is moist in some part during the 120 days following the winter solstice and is moist in all parts less than 25 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 inches F.
Soil Temperature: 49 to 53 degrees F.
A horizon - Value: 4 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist. Chroma: 3 or 4.
Bt and Btk horizon - Value: 4 through 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist. Chroma: 3 or 4. Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam or loam.
Bk horizon -Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist. Chroma: 1 through 5. Texture: clay loam or sandy clay loam. Calcium Carbonate Equivalent: 25 to 35 percent. Rock fragments: pebbles range 15 to 25 percent and cobbles range 0 to 5 percent by volume.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amal(NM), Elpedro(NM), Moncha(NM) and Wetherill(T)(NM) soils. The Elpedro and Moncha soils lack calcic horizons. Amal and Wetherill soils have carbonates below 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chita soils are on mesa tops. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Elevations range from 6,000 to 7,000 feet. The soils formed in eolian and alluvium derived from igneous rocks and sandstone. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 115 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Penistaja and Pinavetes soils. The Penistaja and Pinavetes soils are in areas at the base of mesas. Penistaja soils have more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser in the particle-size control section. Pinavetes soils lack argillic horizons and are sandy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow and medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Chita soils are used for livestock grazing, recreation and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is western wheatgrass, big sagebrush, fourwing saltbush, and needleandthread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central New Mexico. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, 1989.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 3 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 30 inches. (Bt, Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 38 to 60 inches. (2Bk2 horizon)