LOCATION CRUCES NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Argic Petrocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Cruces loamy sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loamy sand, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft; few roots; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 7 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, firm; few roots; sand grains coated with clay; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--7 to 12 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) fine sandy loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure that parts to weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; few roots; sand grains coated with clay; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Btk--12 to 14 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; few roots; sand grains coated with clay; few calcium carbonate filaments; scattered, extremely hard, subangular and rounded, calcium carbonate-cemented fragments 2 mm to 5 cm in diameter; moderately effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bkm1--14 to 25 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) alternating layers of laminar carbonate and massive calcium carbonate cemented material, pink (7.5YR 8/4) and pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist with some parts pink (7.5YR 7/4), light brown (7.5YR 6/4) and brown (7.5YR 5/4); extremely hard; reddish brown and red stains along cracks; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bkm2--25 to 40 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) and pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) calcium carbonate-cemented material, light gray (10YR 7/2) and pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) moist; massive; extremely hard; sand grains separated by calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy to irregular boundary.
Ck1--40 to 90 inches; white (10YR 8/1) sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; matrix is massive and soft; many indurated, extremely hard calcium carbonate nodules; calcium carbonate coatings on nodules and sand grains; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Ck2--90 to 124 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; matrix is massive and soft; few indurated calcium carbonate nodules; calcium carbonate coatings on nodules and sand grains; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C--124 to 140 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grained and massive; loose and soft; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; south bank of trench, 800 feet east of northeast taxiway, Las Cruces Municipal Airport; in the NE 1/4 of section 23, T.23 S., R.1 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during December through April and for more than 20 days cumulative in the summer months. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 59 to 67 degrees F.
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 8 to 20 inches
A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6, dry or moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: loamy sand, fine sandy loam, fine sand
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 or 5, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 through 8, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam (12 to 30 percent clay)
Bkm horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Contains cracks and occasional pipes 1 to 20 feet in diameter
Thickness: 1 to 6 feet
Ck horizon
Value: 7 or 8, dry or moist
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, sand
Calcium carbonate: common coatings and nodules
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Mormount (NV) series. Mormount soils are in the Mohave Desert (MLRA 30) receive mostly winter precipitation and are usually dry from April through November.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cruces soils are on broad, basin floors and have slopes of 0 to 5 percent. The soils formed in thick basin-fill deposits that usually contain much sand. Elevations range from 3,100 to 5,500 feet. Mean annual precipitation is 7 to 11 inches with a pronounced summer maximum. Mean annual temperature ranges from 57 degrees to 65 degrees F. The frost-free period ranges from 180 to 220 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bucklebar, Tonuco, Tencee, Dona Ana, Pintura, and Simona soils. Bucklebar and Dona Ana soils do not have petrocalcic horizons. Simona, Tencee, and Tonuco soils do not have argillic horizons. Pintura soils do not have argillic horizons and have sandy textures throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is snakeweed, mesquite, and a few yucca, and in places, there is scattered clumps of dropseed, black grama, and tobosa grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA is 42.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Desert Soil Geomorphology Project, Dona Ana County, New Mexico; 1973.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 2 to 14 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btk horizons)
Petrocalcic horizon - The zone from 14 to 40 inches (Bkm1, Bkm2 horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999
This series represents an identified soil within the Desert Soil-Geomorphology Project, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The project was a study of soils and geomorphology in an arid and semi-arid environment. The series is extensively referenced in many documents, publications and thesis. Revision outside the project area is discouraged in order to preserve the historical concept for research.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data are available for sample number S61NM7-7(1-12) (L.H. Gile and R.B. Grossman, 1979. The Desert Project Soil Monograph. Document PB80-135304. National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA.)