LOCATION CONCHOVAR NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Conchovar clay loam--in irrigated cropland on a linear surface of less than 1 percent slope at an elevation of 6,760 feet. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
Ap1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Ap2--3 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Btz--9 to 26 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; many fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and very fine roots; few fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; few cracks 5 mm wide that extend from 8 to 18 inches: common fine clusters of salt crystals; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual irregular boundary. (5 to 30 inches thick)
BCz--26 to 36 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; and few very fine irregular pores; common fine clusters of salt crystals; common pressure faces; slightly effervescent; many medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) redox concentrations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Cg--36 to 54 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; slightly effervescent; common medium and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 26 inches thick)
2C--54 to 65 inches; mixed reddish brown (5YR 4/4), dark gray (10YR 4/1), and red (2.5YR 4/8) sandy clay; massive; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; water table occurs at 54 inches; non-effervescent; gray colors are redox depletions and reddish brown and red colors are redox concentrations; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8). (4 to 8 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, Zuni Indian Reservation, New Mexico; Pescado Quadrangle; about .5 miles west of Pescado spring; 108 degrees 35 minutes 3 seconds west longitude, 35 degrees 6 minutes 26 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The SMCS is usually moist, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days from April through October. It is usually dry, in some part, for more than 120 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through April, but not moist in all parts for 45 consecutive days from January through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 48 to 55 degrees F
Particle-size control section: 35 to 55 percent clay
Depth to seasonal water table: 30 to 60 inches.
Depth to redoximorphic features: 20 to 40 inches
Depth to salt accumulations: 10 to 40 inches
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Salinity: non-saline or very slightly saline (EC of 1 to 4 mmhos)
Sodicity: SAR of 0-5
Bt horizon:
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: clay or clay loam.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Salinity: very slightly or slightly saline (EC of 4 to 8 mmhos)
Sodicity: SAR of 0-5
BCz horizon:
Hue: 10YR.
Value: 3 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6.
Salinity: slightly saline (EC of 4 to 8 mmhos)
Sodicity: SAR of 0-5
Redoximorphic Features: 5YR hues are redox concentrations
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 3 through 6 dry, 2 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 8.
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay or clay.
Salinity non-saline or very slightly saline (EC of 0 to 4 mmhos)
Sodicity: SAR of 0-5
Redoximorphic Features: 2.5YR hues are redox concentrations
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Irwin (KS), Knifehill (NM), Lubbock (KS), Millpaw (NM), Nutreeah (NM), Ruidoso (NM), and Tully (KS) series. The Irwin, Knifehill, Lubbock, Millpaw, Ruidoso and Tully soils do not have a water table within 60 inches. The Nutreeah soils have an intermittent water table below 40 inches and colors redder than 7.5YR in the particle-size control section. Also, the Irwin, Lubbock, and Tully soils are in LRR-H and are more moist in May and June.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Conchovar soils formed in alluvium, fan alluvium, and stream alluvium derived from sandstone and shale on valley floors and drainageways. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Elevations range from 6,600 to 6,800 feet. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 53 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 13 to 16 inches. The frost free period is 100 to 135 days. A water table occurs at 30 to 60 inches. Frequency of flooding is rare.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Concho and Knifehill soils on stream terraces and Hosta soils on fan terraces. Concho and Knifehill soils do not have a water table within 60 inches of the surface. Hosta soils lack a mollic epipedon and have greater than 35 percent clay in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained with a water table at 30 to 60 inches; medium to high runoff; very slow permeability. Frequency of flooding is rare.
USE AND VEGETATION: This unit is used for irrigated crops, mainly alfalfa, corn, small grains and pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This series occurs west central New Mexico. MLRA 35, LRR-D. This series is of small extent; only occurring in the Pescado Valley on the Zuni Indian Reservation.
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, New Mexico, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from the surface to a depth of 26 inches. (Ap1, Ap2 and Btz horizons)
Pachic feature: Mollic epipedon extends to 26 inches.
Argillic horizon: The zone from 9 to 26 inches. (Btz horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.