LOCATION FIESTA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fiesta sandy clay loam--on the footslope of a valley side sloping 24 percent to the west (268 degrees) at 7,290 feet elevation-ponderosa pine forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was dry throughout.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches, slightly decomposed needles and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A--2 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse, few medium, few fine, and common very fine roots; few very fine irregularly shaped pores; 10 percent gravel, neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse, few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few medium and few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel, neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bt2--9 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few medium and few fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films lining pores and common faint clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel, slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)
Bt3--14 to 25 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few very fine roots; few medium, few fine, and few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds and few faint clay films on faces of peds; 13 percent gravel, slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
Bt4--25 to 42 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and few very fine roots; few medium, common fine, and few very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds and few faint clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel, moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 29 inches thick)
Bt5--42 to 51 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) and brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) and dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and few very fine roots; few medium, common fine, and few very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 16 inches thick)
Btk1--51 to 64 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse parting to moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and few very fine roots; common fine and few very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel; noneffervescent to slightly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as very few fine irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds (2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Btk2--64 to 84 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and few very fine roots; common fine and few very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common medium irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Btk/C--84 to 121 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure or massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine and few very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds (2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about 4 miles south-southeast of Cundiyo; 1,450 feet north and 1,375 feet west of the southeast corner of section 4, T.19N., R.10E.; USGS Cundiyo 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 54 minutes 9 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 52 minutes 44 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Depths given are measured from the mineral soil surface)
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section (SMCS) is moist in all parts from January to May and intermittently moist in some part from June to December. The SMCS is dry in some part less than 60 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. The soil moisture regime is typic ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Depth to base of mollic epipedon 25 to 29 inches
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 56 to 80 inches or more
Depth to calcareous material (as visible secondary calcium carbonate) - 61 to 80 inches
Organic matter content - 1 to 3 percent in the mollic epipedon
Salinity, mmhos/cm - 0 to 2
Sodicity, SAR - 0 to 4
Lithology of rock fragments: granite, gneiss, and schist
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Silicate clay content: 24 to 35 percent
Sand content: 40 to 60 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 30 to 50 percent
Rock fragment content: 5 to 14 percent
Mica content: 15 to 20 percent (by grain count)
A horizon
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent, mostly gravel
Upper Bt horizons
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 24 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 14 percent, mostly gravel
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Lower Bt horizons
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, gravelly sandy clay loam, or gravelly clay loam
Clay content: 26 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 3 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 25 percent, mostly gravel
Btk horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Texture: gravelly sandy clay loam or gravelly clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 4 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 20 to 35 percent
15 to 25 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Btk/C horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Texture: gravelly sandy clay loam or gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 4 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 20 to 35 percent gravel
15 to 25 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bowbells,
Cambern,
Carfall,
Center Creek,
Chugcreek,
Detra,
Flaxton,
Gordo,
Hereford,
Hesperus,
Jaythree,
Laceycreek,
Ohwiler,
Pachel,
Schauson,
Shermap,
Todacheene,
Tschicoma, and
Weed series.
Bowbells, Flaxton, Hereford, Pachel, and Weed soils are calcareous within the particle-size control section.
Cambern soils are moderately deep to ash and tuff.
Carfall, Hesperus, Laceycreek, and Ohwiler soils have hues yellower than 7.5YR.
Center Creek soils have redox features and saturation.
Chugcreek soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Detra soils have a lithic contact between 40 and 60 inches.
Gordo and Schauson soils have less than 5 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
Jaythree soils do not have rock fragments of granite, gneiss, and schist.
Shermap and Todacheene soils have annual soil temperature less than 45 degrees and do not have rock fragments of granite, gneiss, and schist.
Tschicoma soils do not have secondary carbonates.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fiesta soils are on footslopes of valley sides. They formed in alluvium derived from Precambrian granite, gneiss, and schist. Slopes are 10 to 35 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,800 to 8,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 18 inches with about 40 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Enmedio, Espanola, Morenda, and Posada soils. Enmedio soils are loamy-skeletal over fragmental and occur on backslopes of hills. Espanola soils are loamy-skeletal, lack mollic epipedons or argillic horizons, and occur on adjacent risers of high stream terraces. Morenda soils are coarse-loamy, have water tables within 5 feet, and occur on low stream terraces of valley floors. Posada soils are coarse-loamy, lack argillic horizons, and occur on inset fans of valley sides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Fiesta soils are used for timber production, urban development, and recreation. The historic climax vegetation is Arizona fescue, Gamble's oak, elk sedge, muttongrass, ponderosa pine. The ecological site is Pinus ponderosa-Juniperus scopulorum/Quercus gambleii-Cercocarpus montanus/Poa fendleriana-Muhlenbergia montana(F070XA022NM).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Fiesta 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. Fiesta is a local Spanish name.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 2 to 25 inches. (A, Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 4 to 121 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5, Btk1, Btk2, and Btk/C horizons)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 4 to 24 inches (Bt1, Bt2, part of Bt3 horizons)
Series control section - The zone from 0 to 80 inches.
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Calcium carbonate equivalence was determined using a calcimeter.