LOCATION DRIFTFENCE NMTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, thermic Petronodic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Driftfence gravelly sandy loam rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 10 percent clay; weak medium platy over weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots throughout; few fine pores; 3 percent medium, 15 percent coarse, and 2 percent very coarse spherical carbonate nodules throughout; 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly effervescent; non-saline, EC of 0.2 dS/m; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 17 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 10 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and common coarse roots throughout; few fine and medium pores; 3 percent medium and 7 percent coarse spherical carbonate nodules throughout; 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly effervescent; non-saline, EC of 0.2 dS/m; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--17 to 29 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; 8 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots throughout; 15 percent medium, 55 percent coarse, and 5 percent very coarse spherical carbonate nodules throughout; 52 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; very slightly saline, EC of 2.3 dS/m; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary.
Bk3--29 to 44 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) gravelly sandy loam, pink (7.5YR 7/3) moist; 10 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots throughout; 15 percent medium and 5 percent coarse spherical carbonate nodules throughout; 46 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; very slightly saline, EC of 3.4 dS/m; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 27 to 47 inches)
2Bk1--44 to 56 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; 22 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine pores; 10 percent medium and 30 percent coarse spherical carbonate nodules throughout; 34 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; slightly saline, EC of 7.3 dS/m; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary.
2Bk2--56 to 79 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) gravelly loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; 24 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few medium pores; 5 percent medium and 25 percent coarse spherical carbonate nodules throughout; 22 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; slightly saline, EC of 6.0 dS/m; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3). (Combined thickness 27 to 51 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; about 1.33 miles east and 2.91 miles north of the Small Missile Range entrance; located about 804 feet north and 2,770 feet east of the SW Corner of Sec 36, T. 20S, R. 5E: USGS Quad Bennett Mountain; Latitude: 32 degrees 31 minutes 11.60 seconds N; Longitude: 106 degrees 23 minutes 6.60 seconds W, NAD 83; UTM 369902 E, 3598909 N, UTM Zone 13.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 64 to 68 degrees F.
Particle size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: greater than 35 percent nodules
Depth to calcic horizon: less than 20 inches
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 55
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Salinity: non to moderate
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 5 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 40 percent nodules
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 20 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Salinity: non to slight
Bk horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 60 percent nodules
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 60 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Salinity: non to moderate
2Bk horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam, loamy sand
Clay content: 5 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 40 percent nodules
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 40 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Salinity: very slight to moderate
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alamoroad (T) (NV), Destazo (CA), and Pahrump (NV) series. Destazo and Pahrump soils have greater than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Alamoroad, Destazo, and Pahrump soils are moist in the soil moisture control section for less than 20 days cumulative between July and September and occur in the Mohave Desert.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Driftfence soils are on fan piedmonts. Slope is 1 to 5 percent. These soils formed from coarse-loamy alluvium. Elevation ranges from 3,900 to 4,100 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches. Precipitation falls in all months as gentle winter storms and with increased amounts during high intensity summer storms. The mean annual air temperature is 62 to 66 degrees F. The frost-free period is 200 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jato (NM), Loki (NM), Mimbres (NM+TX) and Turney (NM+TX) soils. Jato and Loki soils have alumno-slica material capping gypsum evaporites and are on relict lakebeds. Mimbres soils are fine-silty. Turney soils are fine-loamy with mixed mineralogy on fan piedmonts.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are military exercises and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is creosote bush, bush muhly, tarbush, burrograss and fluffgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico, limited to the surrounding piedmonts of the Tularosa Basin. MLRA 42, Driftfence is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES PROPOSED: White Sands Missile Range, Dona Ana County, New Mexico, 2009. The name Driftfence is derived from a well on White Sands Missile Range.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 horizons)
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 3 to 79 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3, 2Bk1, 2Bk2 horizons)
Soils classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006