LOCATION DULCEPEAK NM+CO
Established Series
Rev. TRO-TWH-KLS
01/2018
DULCEPEAK SERIES
The Dulcepeak series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium over residuum derived from sandstone and shale. Dulcepeak soils are on mesas, cuestas and hillslopes. Slopes range from 1 to 25 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 457 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Vertic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Dulcepeak very cobbly loam, on a southeast facing, convex, 15 percent slope at an elevation of 2,347 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on August 12, 1999, the soil was moist from 0 to 66 cm.
A--0 to 13 cm; dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) very cobbly loam, black (7.5YR 2.5/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic, many very fine roots; 20 percent subangular sandstone gravel, 20 percent angular sandstone cobbles, and 1 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary (3 to 30 cm thick)
Bt1--13 to 33 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/3) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; strong fine angular block structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on ped faces; 10 percent angular sandstone cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--33 to 51 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium and fine angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on ped faces; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
Bt3--51 to 66 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces; 16 percent subangular sandstone gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 - 23 to 83 cm)
R--66 cm; hard sandstone bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico; about 6 kilometers southeast of the town of Dulce; located about 564 meters south and 457 meters east of the NW corner of Sec. 26, T. 31 N., R.1 W.; Cordova USGS quadrangle; Lat. 36 degrees 52 minutes 25 seconds N., Long. 106 degrees 54 minutes 05 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 5.6 to 7.2 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 14.4 to 16.7 degrees C.
Depth to argillic horizon: 5 to 41 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 51 to 102 cm
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Sand content: 20 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent angular sandstone gravel, cobbles, and/or stones
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry or moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: loam, very fine sandy loam, with very gravelly, very cobbly, or very stony modifiers
Clay content: 12 to 22 percent
Rock fragments (angular sandstone): 15 to 60 percent--0 to 25 percent gravel; 0 to 30 percent cobbles; 0 to 25 percent stones
Reaction (pH): 6.6 to 7.3
Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 horizons
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, dry or moist
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: clay loam, clay, sandy clay, often with gravelly or stony modifiers
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel
Reaction (pH): 6.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Bario (NM) - are very deep to lithic contact
Ponil (NM) - are very deep to lithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mesas, cuestas, hillslopes
Elevation - 2,180 to 2,670 meters
Slopes - 1 to 25 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium over residuum derived from sandstone and shale
Mean annual temperature - 5.5 to 7.2 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation - 406 to 510 mm
Precipitation pattern - Precipitation falls mostly during the months of November through March and July through October. Total snowfall averages about 1.2 to 1.5 meters with snowmelt lasting into April.
Frost-free period - 80 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff, slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are commercial timber production and wildlife habitat. The native plant community is ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern New Mexico; LRR D and E; MLRA 36 and 48A; moderately extensive.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, 2000; Jicarilla Apache Area, Parts of Rio Arriba and Sandoval Counties Soil Survey. The name Dulcepeak is taken from a local peak name.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 13 to 63 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 horizons)
Argillic horizon: 13 to 66 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 horizons)
Lithic contact: 66 cm to sandstone bedrock (R layer)
Abrupt textural change: 13 cm (the upper boundary of the argillic horizon)
Vertic feature: based on estimated linear extensibility
Other Features: Thin Oi horizons are present in some pedons. Rock fragments generally decrease with depth.
Dulcepeak soils have a frigid temperature regime and are in an ustic soil moisture regime with a typic subclass.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.