LOCATION ETOWN                   NM

Established Series
Rev. TEH/BDS/KLS
08/2022

ETOWN SERIES

The Etown series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and/or alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. Etown soils are on mountain slopes. Permeability is moderately slow. Slopes are 35 to 65 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 580 mm and mean annual air temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Udic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Etown gravelly loam - forested -- in a mountainous area, backslope position. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

Oe--0 to 5 cm; Forest litter in various stages of decomposition.

A--5 to 15 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 25 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

E--15 to 51 cm; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak fine, medium, and coarse granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 60 cm thick)

Bt/E--51 to 81 cm; Bt part about 80 percent brown (7.5YR 5/2) very gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; E part about 20 percent pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, mostly as coatings on rock fragments and faces of peds; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; many thin and thick clay films on rocks; 30 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 45 cm thick)

Bt1--81 to 122 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/2) extremely cobbly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; many pressure faces; many thick clay films on surfaces of rocks; 25 percent pebbles, 40 percent cobbles; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 50 cm thick)

Bt2--122 to 158 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely stony clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; common pressure faces; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces and rocks; 40 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles, 20 percent stones; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Colfax County, New Mexico; Lat. 36 degrees, 26 minutes, 14 seconds N and Long. 105 degrees, 20 minutes, 0 seconds W; about 16 km south-southwest of Eagle Nest and 2.5 km north of junction of US Highway 65 and the Colfax-Taos County line.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--4 to 8 degrees C

A horizons
Hue--7.5YR
Value--5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--loam
Rock fragment content--15 to 35 percent total; 15 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobble

E horizons
Hue--7.5YR
Value--6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--loam
Rock fragment content--40 to 60 percent total; 40 to 55 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobble

B/E horizons
Hue--7.5YR
Value--6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma--2 to 4
Texture--clay loam
Rock fragment content--40 to 60 percent total; 15 to 30 percent gravel, 15 to 25 percent cobble, 5 to 15 percent stones

Bt horizons
Hue--10YR or 7.5YR
Value--4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma--2 to 6
Texture--clay
Clay content--greater than 40 percent
Rock fragment content--35 to 80 percent total; 25 to 40 percent gravel, 15 to 40 percent cobble, 0 to 20 percent stones

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alanos (NM), Crest (NM), Pinata (NM) and Trampas series. The Alanos soils contain iron and manganese concretions in the upper Bt horizons and have mainly pebble and cobble-size rock fragments. Crest soils have a lithic contact at 50 to 100 cm. Pinata soils have argillic horizons within 60 cm of the mineral soil surface. Trampas soils have hue of 5YR or 7.5YR in the Bt and C horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain slopes, primarily backslope positions
Elevation--2750 to 3350 meters
Slope--35 to 65 percent
Parent material--mixed colluvium and alluvium derived from sandstone and shale
Mean annual precipitation--460 to 690 mm
Mean annual temperature--3 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free period--60 to 90 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium and rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Etown soils are used for wildlife habitat, woodland, recreation and watershed. Present vegetation is Douglas fir, white fir, and aspen with an understory of shrubs and mountain grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Etown soils are of moderately extensive in northern New Mexico; MLRA 48

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Colfax County, New Mexico, 1974

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--5 to 51 cm (A and E horizons)
Albic horizon--15 to 51 cm (E horizon)
Argillic horizon--51 to 158 cm (Bt/E, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Particle-size control section--51 to 101 (Bt/E horizon and part of Bt1 horizon)

Etown soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic soil moisture regime, bordering on udic.

Converted to metric, updated formatting, and O horizons were updated to start at zero. 8/2022

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.