LOCATION ELIZARIO           NM TX
Inactive Series
Rev. DGS/RLB
08/2007

ELIZARIO SERIES


The Elizario series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils formed in eolian sands over alluvium. These nearly level to gently sloping soils are on slightly depressed alluvial flats of basin floors. Slope ranges from 2 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 64 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Elizario sand -- rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 2 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) crushed, sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) rushed, moist; 4 percent clay; single grain structure; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; 2 percent 0.1- to 3.0- inch limestone fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 3 normal; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)

2Btk1--2 to 6 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) crushed, sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 20 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few distinct clay film on faces of peds; 5 percent fine threadlike carbonate masses throughout; 1 percent 0.1- to 3.0-inch limestone fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 3 normal; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

2Btk2--6 to 20 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) crushed, sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 20 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, soft, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few distinct clay film on faces of peds; 10 percent fine threadlike carbonate masses throughout; 1 percent 0.1- to 3.0-inch limestone fragments; violently effervescent, by HCl, 3 normal; slightly alkaline; 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)

2Btk3--20 to 31 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) crushed, sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 22 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few distinct clay film on faces of peds; 15 percent medium irregular carbonate masses throughout; 1 percent 0.1- to 3.0-inch limestone fragments; violently effervescent, by HCl, 3 normal; moderately alkaline; 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)

3Bk1--31 to 48 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) crushed, silt loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) crushed, moist; 19 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; 60 percent coarse irregular carbonate masses throughout; 1 percent 0.1- to 3.0 inch limestone fragments; violently effervescent, by HCl, 3 normal; moderately alkaline; 26 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary. (12 to 22 inches thick)

3Bk2--48 to 59 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) crushed, silt loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) crushed, moist; 19 percent clay; massive; extremely firm, very hard, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; 5 percent fine irregular carbonate masses throughout and 35 percent extremely coarse irregular carbonate masses throughout; 1 percent 0.1- to 3.0-inch limestone fragments; violently effervescent, by HCl, 3 normal; moderately alkaline; 24 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)

4C--59 to 80 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) crushed, sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) crushed, moist; 19 percent clay; massive; extremely firm, very hard, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; 10 percent medium irregular carbonate masses throughout; 1 percent 0.1- to 3.0-inch limestone fragments; violently effervescent, by HCl, 3 normal; moderately alkaline; 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.

TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; approximately 19.9 miles west and 15.5 miles south of Orogrande; 1,600 feet east and 2,600 feet north of southwest corner of sec.10, T. 25 S., R. 5 E. UTM zone 13, 365911E, 3557516N; NAD 27; USGS Newman NW topographic quadrangle; latitude 32 degrees 8 minutes 52.09 seconds north; longitude 106 degrees 25 minutes 18.45 seconds west,

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil Moisture: Typic aridic soil moisture regime. The moisture control section is usually dry in all parts more than three-fourths of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F.

Mean annual soil temperature: 63 to 67 degrees F.

Depth to calcic horizon: 20 to 40 inches

Particle-size control section (weighted average):

Clay content: 20 to 27 percent

Coarse fragment content: 0 to 5 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Coarse fragments: mixed igneous or limestone fragments; 0 to 5 percent gravel size fragments

2Btk horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Coarse fragments: mixed igneous or limestone fragments; 0 to 5 percent gravel size fragments

3Bk horizon:
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Coarse fragments: mixed igneous or limestone fragments; 0 to 5 percent gravel size fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent (less than 2 mm fraction)

C horizon:
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Coarse fragments: mixed igneous or limestone fragments; 0 to 5 percent gravel size fragments

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blackmagic (CA), Brenda (NM), Cornville (AZ), Dona Ana (NM), Hap (NM), Jagerson (AZ), Kidwell (NV), Madurez (NM), Mcnew (NM), Mohave (AZ), Nutt (NM), Poachie (AZ) and Tres Hermanos (NM) series. Blackmagic, Jagerson and Poachie soils are in the Mohave Desert (MLRA 30) and receive most of the precipitation in the winter. Blackmagic soils have an accumulation of gypsum within 40 inches of the surface.
Brenda soils have gravelly sand or fine sand in the lower part of the profile below the argillic horizon.
Cornville soils are in the Arizona Interior Chaparral (MLRA 38) and have a bi-modal precipitation pattern.
Dona Ana soils have a calcic horizon within 20 inches of the surface.
Hap, Jagerson, Kidwell, Tres Hermanos and Poachie soils have greater than 15 percent rock fragments in the series control section.
Madurez soils have Bt horizons thinner than 10 inches and sola thinner than 25 inches.
Mcnew soils have a calcic horizon within 20 inches of the surface.
Mohave soils have less than 50 percent sand in the series control section. Mohave soils are in the Sonoran Desert and Sonoran-Chihuahuan transition (MLRAs 40 & 41) and have a bi-modal precipitation pattern.
Nutt soils have a soil temperature of 59-62 degrees F. and have a calcic horizon above the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Parent material: eolian sands over alluvium
Landform: slightly depressed alluvial flats of basin floors
Slope: 2 to 5 percent
Mean annual temperature: 62 to 66 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 10 inches
Precipitation pattern: precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The driest months are March and April. Precipitation during the months of January, February, and March is less than 13 percent of the total.
Frost-free period: 200 to 240 days
Elevation: 3,900 to 4,200 feet

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Copia, Foxtrot, Hueco, Mcnew, and Nations soils.
Copia soils are sandy and do not have calcic horizons and are on sand sheets on the basin floor.
Foxtrot, Hueco and Nations soils are moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon and are on the basin floor.
Mcnew soils have calcic horizons within 20 inches of the surface and are on slightly higher positions of the alluvial flat of the basin floor.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately slow. Runoff is medium.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing. Vegetation is of the desert shrub type consisting of mesa dropseed, spike dropseed, fourwing saltbush, broom snakeweed, and mesquite.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Trans-Pecos of Texas and southern New Mexico; LRR D, MLRA 42; small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Otero County, New Mexico; 2001.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Particle-size control section: The zone from 2 to 22 inches. (2Btk1, 2Btk2, and 2Btk3 horizons)

Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 7 inches. (A, 2Btk1, and 2Btk2
horizons, mixed to 7 inches)

Argillic horizon: The zone from 6 to 31 inches. (2Btk1, 2Btk2, and 2Btk3 horizons)

Calcic horizon: The zone from 31 to 59 inches. (3Bk1 and 3Bk2 horizons)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.