LOCATION FIKEL NM+AZ

Established Series
Rev. SAZ/LWH/WWJ/LJGII
10/2011

FIKEL SERIES

The Fikel series consists of very deep, well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in alluvium and fan alluvium derived from sandstone and shale of the Chinle Formation. Fikel soils are on fan remnants and fan terraces on valley sides. Slopes range from 1 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 13 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 51 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Fikel clay loam--in rangeland on a 4 percent, northfacing slope at 7,500 feet. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; 3 percent siliceous gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bt--3 to 14 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 21 inches thick)
Btk1--14 to 32 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; few fine masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
Btk2--32 to 50 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium masses of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent, 6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
Btk3--50 to 65 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; few very fine masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
Btk4--65 to 70 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; few very fine masses of calcium carbonate; very slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0). (The combined thickness of the Btk horizons is 28 to 60 inches)

TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; Pine Canyon Quadrangle; about 1.3 miles northeast of the Bass ranch headquarters; 600 feet east and 1,400 feet south of the northwest corner of section 9, R. 13 W, T. 13 N.; 108 degrees 13 minutes 39 seconds west longitude, 35 degrees 22 minutes 28 seconds north latitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The SMCS is usually moist, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days from April through October. It is usually dry, in some part, for more than 120 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through March. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 48 to 54 degrees F
Particle-size control section: 35 to 50 percent clay and greater than 30 percent sand
Depth to secondary carbonate: 7 to 30 inches
Salinity: EC of less than 2
Sodicity: SAR of 0 to 5

A horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2.5 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent siliceous gravel
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent

Bt horizons:
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2.5 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4,dry or moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent siliceous gravel
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent

Btk horizons:
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 2.5 to 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: clay, clay loam, sandy clay, sandy clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent siliceous gravel
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 10 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Durango (CO), Erramouspe (NM), Hualapai (AZ), Hosta (NM), Jacee (NM), Montecito (NM), Nogal (NM), Paguate (NM), Prater (CO), Teco (NM), Tinian (NM), and Wilmac (NM) series. Durango soils have a lithologic discontinuity. Hosta and Prater soils have hues 7.5YR and yellower. Montecito, Paguate, and Teco soils have calcic horizons. Erramouspe, Hualapai, Jacee, Nogal, Paguate, Tinian and Wilmac soils are moderately deep to a lithic or paralithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Fikel soils formed in alluvium and fan alluvium derived from sandstone and shale of the Chinle Formation, and are on fan remnants and fan terraces on valley sides. Slopes are 1 to 6 percent. Elevations range from 7,000 to 7,600 feet. The mean annual air temperature is 46 to 53 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 13 to 18 inches. The frost free period is 115 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bluewater and Venzuni soils on valley floors and sides; the Simitarq and Tuces soils on dip slopes and escarpments of cuestas; and the Regracic soils on sideslopes and summits of hills and ridges. Bluewater soils are poorly drained and have a water table within 40 inches. Venzuni soils have vertic properties and Regracic soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments. The Simitarq and Tuces soils are shallow and moderately deep, respectively.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high runoff, and slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: This series is used for livestock grazing. The present vegetation is western wheatgrass, pinque, broom snakeweed, blue grama, bottlebrush squirreltail, with scattered pinyon and juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central New Mexico. MLRA 35 & 36, LRR-D. This series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: McKinley County Area, New Mexico; McKinley County and Parts of Cibola and San Juan Counties, 2001

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: the zone from 0 to 3 inches. (A horizon). Mollic colors are a consequence of the parent material. The organic carbon content is not high enough for a mollic epipedon.
Argillic horizon: the zone from 3 to 70 inches (Bt and Btk horizons)
Classification was revised from Fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Argiustolls to Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs and the type location was moved in February 2001 to better reflect the series concept. Lab data indicated too little organic carbon for a mollic epipedon. It is assumed that the dark colors are lithochromic.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010.
Update and revisions for the correlation of Chinle Area (AZ713), August 2011, LJG2

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL NM-031-005
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.