LOCATION FLACO                   NM AZ

Established Series
Rev. CEM/TLP/RJA
10/2013

FLACO SERIES


The Flaco series consists of moderately deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in alluvium and windblown sediments derived from basalt. Flaco soils are on old basalt capped mesas. Slope is 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 11 inches and mean annual air temperature is about 53 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Flaco loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

Bt--2 to 7 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; few thin clay films lining pores; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Btk--7 to 11 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine irregular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate occurs as common medium irregular soft masses; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

Bk1--11 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few fine irregular pores; violently effervescent; calcium carbonate occurs as many large irregular soft masses; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

Bk2--16 to 29 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; violently effervescent; calcium carbonate occurs as many large irregular soft masses; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 33 inches thick)

2R--29 inches; basalt with a thin layer of weakly-cemented calcium carbonates.

TYPE LOCATION: Valencia County, New Mexico; about 0.5 miles west from Sedillo Peak on top of Mesa Lucero; 800 feet west and 1060 feet north from the southeast corner of sec. 2l, T. 6 N., R. 3 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Ustic aridic soil moisture regime

Depth to bedrock: 20 to 40 inches

Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent clay

A horizon
Hue: 5 YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 through 5, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, cobbly loam, gravelly loam, stony loam

Bt and Btk horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 through 7 dry, 2.5 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent cobbles

Bk horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: more than 15 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alvey (UT), Barx (UT), Cabreros (NM), Cerrillos (NM), Clovis (NM), Fernando (NM), Horchata (NM), Maysdorf (WY), Millett (AZ), Palabria (NM), Progresso (CO), Sanostee (NM), Scholle (NM), Selpats (WY), Solirec (UT), Spenlo (UT), Threetop (WY), Tuweep (AZ), and Wineg (AZ) series. Alvey, Barx, Cerrillos, Clovis, Fernando, Maysdorf, Millett, Scholle, Selpats, Solirec, Spenlo, Tuweep and Wineg soils are very deep. Horchata, Progresso, and Threetop soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Cabreros soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Palabria soils are deep to a lithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Flaco soils are on old basalt capped mesas. They formed in alluvium and windblown sediments derived from basalt. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 4,980 to 7,300 feet. The average annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches, and the mean annual air temperature ranges from 49 to 57 degrees F. The average frost-free period is 120 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Berto, Harvey, Potts, and Silva soils. The Berto soils have a lithic contact at depths less than 20 inches. Harvey, Potts, and Silva soils are greater than 60 inches deep.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Flaco soils are used for livestock grazing. Present native vegetation is blue grama, galleta, winterfat, juniper and cholla cactus.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The series is of small extent in westcentral New Mexico and eastcentral Arizona. MLRA 35.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Socorro County, New Mexico, 1984

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

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)

Argillic horizon - the zone from 2 to 11 inches (Bt and Btk horizons)

Calcic horizon - the zone from 11 to 29 inches (Bk horizons)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Editon, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

ADDITIONAL DATA: S81NM 006 012 NSSL Lincoln

Updated and revised for the correlation of Ft. Defiance Area AZ715 2/08 DWD

Updated and revised for the correlation of Wupatki National Monument, AZ, June 2013, CEM


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.