LOCATION CHRISHALL NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Chrishall gravelly loam - mountain grasslands. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 17 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; common very fine, fine and few medium vesicular pores; 20 percent pebbles; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
A2--17 to 38 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly fine sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine, fine and few medium vesicular pores; 15 percent pebbles; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 21 inches thick)
Bw--38 to 55 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common fine and medium vesicular pores; few thin 0.20 inch sandy loam lamellae; 30 percent pebbles; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C--55 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium vesicular pores; 30 percent pebbles; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico; about 7 miles north and 4 miles west of Los Alamos, New Mexico; New Mexico state plane coordinates 1,810,700 feet north and 462,200 feet east; 106 degrees, 22 minutes, 10 seconds west longitude and 35 degrees, 58 minutes, 34 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is moist in at least some part every month, except June.
Soil Temperature: 43 to 47 degrees F.
Clay content of the control section: averages 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent throughout.
Reaction: slightly acid to neutral
A horizon -Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3
Bw horizon - Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
C horizon - Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 thorough 4
Lamellae are common in the B horizon, they are thin and do not have significantly different textures from the matrix.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Breece, Coberly(T), Dotsero, Hedoes, Jarmillo, Parshall and Ruso series. Breece soils are moist in May and June. Coberly soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Dotsero, Hedoes and Parshall soils are calcareous in the lower part of the B horizon and have secondary accumulations of calcium carbonate. Ruso soils have stratified sand and gravel within 40 inches. Jarmillo soils have less than 15 percent rock fragment in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chrishall soils are developed in alluvium derived from igneous materials on terraces. Slopes are 1 to 15 percent. Elevations are 6,400 to 9,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 25 inches with moist winters and late summers and dry springs. The mean annual temperature is 42 to 44 degrees F., and the frost free period is about 90 to 115 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Calaveras, Rusbach, and Sabe soils. These soils are all skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; and moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Chrishall soils are used for grazing. The present vegetation is Arizona fescue, bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral New Mexico. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sandoval County, (Rio Arriba Survey Area) New Mexico, 1989. Name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 38 inches. (The A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 38 to 55 inches. (The Bw horizon)
Pachic feature: The overthickened mollic epipedon ( 16 to 38 inches)