LOCATION DATIL NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Datil loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
BA--3 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few thin clay films in pores and on sand grains; about 15 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 24 inches thick)
Btk--10 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; common thin clay films on faces of peds and on sand grains; slightly effervescent with common medium masses of lime and a few small concretions; about 20 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Bk1--22 to 40 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; violently effervescent; many lime accumulations; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 40 inches thick)
Bk2--40 to 60 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; violently effervescent; many lime accumulations; about 30 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Socorro County, New Mexico; 15 miles west and 28 miles north of Magdalena in the NW1/4 of sec. 29, T. 2 N., R. 8 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and July through October. The soil is driest in May and June. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 49 to 56 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon: 7 to 12 inches thick.
Depth to the base of the Btk horizon: 15 to 25 inches.
Particle-size control section (on a weighted average): 5 to 30 percent rock fragments, 35 percent or more sand, and 18 to 35 percent clay.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, gravelly loam, or cobbly loam.
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6
Calcium carbonate: noncalcareous in upper part and increasing with depth.
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam with or without gravelly modifiers.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are Ascalon (CO), Belfon (KS), Bresser (CO), Cedak (WY), Charklin (NV), Critchell (CO), Dagflat (UT), Featherlegs (WY), Forgan (OK), Hargreave (WY), Harlan (WY), Hemingford (NE), Hiarc (NM), Kirtley (WY), Lavate (UT), Loarc (NM), Moskee (WY), Noden (WY), Palmer Canyon (WY), Recluse (WY), Satanta (KS), Shalona (CO), Sitcan (CO), Sugardee (WY), Wages (CO), and Wolf (WY) series. Ascalon, Bresser, Critchell, Forgan, Harlan, Hemingford, Lavate, Loarc, Moskee, Noden, Palmer Canyon, Satanta, Sitcan, and Wages soils lack calcic horizons within depths of 40 inches. Belfon soils formed in loess on the Great Plains. Cedak, Dagflat, Hargreave, Hiarc, Kirtley, and Recluse soils have a lithic or paralithic contact at depths between 20 and 40 inches. Featherlegs and Sugardee soils have loamy-skeletal horizons at depths between 30 and 40 inches. Shalona soils lack secondary carbonates in some part of the Bt horizon. Wolf soils are less than 15 inches deep to the base of the Bt.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Datil soils are on fan terraces and piedmonts with slopes of 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in alluvial material derived mainly from volcanic rocks. Elevation is 6,300 to 7,600 feet. The mean annual temperature is about 47 to 54 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 10 to 15 inches. The frost-free season is 115 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Augustine, Majada, Lapdun, and Penistaja soils. Augustine and Penistaja soils lack a mollic epipedon. Majada and Lapdun soils have more than 35 percent rock fragment in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland. Native vegetation is blue grama, oneseed juniper, and pinyon.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This series is in westcentral New Mexico and is moderately extensive. MLRA 38.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Catron County, New Mexico; 1982.
REMARKS: DIAGNOSTIC HORIZONS AND FEATURES RECOGNIZED IN THIS PEDON ARE:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 10 inches. (A, BA, and Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 7 to 22 inches. (Bt and Btk horizon)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 22 to 60 inches. (Bk horizons)