LOCATION ENMEDIO NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal over fragmental, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Enmedio extremely cobbly sandy loam, very stony--on a backslope of a hill sloping 46 percent to the west at 7,320 feet elevation-pinyon-juniper forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and common very fine roots; 40 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 2 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 or 3 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 5 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium, common fine, and common very fine roots; common distinct and few faint clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bt2--5 to 13 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few coarse, common medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; common distinct and few faint clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bt3--13 to 19 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few distinct and common faint clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear irregular boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
2C1--19 to 35 inches; gravel; fine earth is light gray (10YR 7/2) loamy coarse sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and few fine roots; 65 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; rock fragments are angular and separated by fractures devoid of fine earth in some part; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick).
2C2--35 to 46 inches; cobbles; fine earth is light gray (10YR 7/2) coarse sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and few fine roots; 70 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; rock fragments are angular and separated by fractures devoid of fine earth in some part; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick).
2R--46 inches; indurated gneiss bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about 2 miles southeast of Seton Village within the nonsectionized Sebastian de Vargas Grant, projected location is 1,250 feet east and 2,000 feet south of the northwest corner of section 32, T.16N., R.10E.; USGS Seton Village 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 32 minutes 29 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 54 minutes 25 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section is moist in all parts during the 60 days following the winter solstice. It is moist in some part less than 40 percent and moist in all parts less than 25 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. The soils are driest in May and June. The soil moisture regime is ustic bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 48 to 50 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 7 to 10 inches
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 14 to 20 inches
Depth to lithic contact - 40 to 60 inches
Lithology of rock fragments: granite, gneiss, and schist
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Upper part
Silicate clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: 35 to 55 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 25 to 40 percent
Rock fragment content: total range is 40 to 60 percent with 35 to 50 percent gravel and 5 to 10 percent cobbles
Mica content: 25 to 45 percent (by grain count)
Lower part
Rock fragment content: 90 to 95 percent
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Bt horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly clay loam or very gravelly sandy clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: total range is 40 to 60 percent
35 to 50 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
Paragravel content: 0 to 10 percent
2C horizons
Hue: 5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture gravel or cobbles
Texture of fine earth: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragment content: total range is 90 to 95 percent
30 to 75 percent gravel
30 to 70 percent cobbles
Paragravel content: 0 to 10 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family. In closely related families the Setonville series does not have a mollic epipedon; the Santa Fe series is shallow to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Enmedio soils are on backslopes of hills. They formed in colluvium derived locally from Precambrian granite, gneiss, and schist over residuum of Precambrian granite and gneiss bedrock. Slopes are 15 to 60 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,400 to 9,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 17 inches with about 45 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free period is 130 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arnor, Atalaya, and Setonville soils. Arnor soils are fine-loamy, do not have fragmental materials, and occur on toeslopes of hills. Atalaya soils are coarse-loamy over fragmental, do not have mollic epipedons, and occur on beveled summits. Setonville soils are loamy-skeletal over fragmental, do not have mollic epipedons but have calcic horizons, and occur on footslopes of hills and knolls.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; permeability is moderately slow in the upper part and very rapid in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Enmedio soils are used for urban development, cord wood products, livestock grazing, and recreation. The historic climax vegetation is blue grama, skunkbush sumac, two-needle pinyon, and oneseed juniper. The ecological site is Pinus edulis/Rhus trilobata/Bouteloua gracilis(F036XB133NM).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Enmedio soils are of small extent on the southwestern Sangre de Cristo part of the Southern Rocky Mountains province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 48A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Area Soil Survey Update; 2008. Enmedio is the name of a creek north of Santa Fe.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 7 inches. (A, Bt1, and part of Bt2 horizon)(The mollic epipedon is based on mixed color to 7 inches)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 2 to about 19 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)
Fragmental feature -From 19 to about 46 inches. (2C1 and 2C2 horizons)
Lithic contact - The presence of indurated granite bedrock at 46 inches. (2R layer)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 2 to 40 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, 2C1, and 2C2 horizons)
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.