LOCATION DIATEE NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Diatee gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; 15 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common medium fine, very fine and few coarse roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 15 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--8 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common medium and very fine, few coarse and fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 20 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt3--14 to 18 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; very few thin clay films bridging sand grains; 35 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
2C1--18 to 38 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium, fine and very fine roots; 45 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
2C2--38 to 60 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, few medium and very fine roots; 45 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Catron County, New Mexico; about 3.25 miles northwest of Pie town; in SE1/4, NW1/4, sec. 35, T. 2 N., R. 13 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and July through September. The driest months are May and June. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 49 to 56 degrees F.
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: gravelly sandy loam and gravelly loam
Average clay content: 12 to 17 percent
Coarse fragments: 5 to 20 percent pebbles, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
B horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: sandy clay loam and clay loam
Average clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 25 percent pebbles
C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6
Texture: very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very gravelly coarse sand, and very gravelly loamy sand
Average clay content: 2 to 7 percent
Rock fragments: 25 to 50 percent pebbles, 5 to 15 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 13 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wanetta (MT) series. Wanetta soils receive seventy-five percent of the mean annual precipitation in the six-month period of April through September.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Diatee soils are on ridges, alluvial terraces, and rolling hills. Slopes range from 0 to 25 percent. Elevation ranges from 7,500 to 8,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is about 12 to 15 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. The average frost-free season is about 115 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Flugle, Jacques, and Loarc soils. Flugle soils have no contrasting layer. Jacques soils have a mollic epipedon and are fine-textured. Loarc soils have a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principle use is for rangeland. Native vegetation is mainly pinyon, juniper, and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This series is of moderate extent in westcentral New Mexico. MLRA 38.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Catron County, New Mexico, 1983.
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 18 inches. (Bt horizons)
Contrasting Particle-size: Very gravelly coarse sand at 18 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: This soil was sampled by New Mexico State University as pedon number S-80-NM-003-15-(1 to 6.)