LOCATION GALLEN             NM
Established Series
Rev. RAH-ACT-CLN
09/2007

GALLEN SERIES


The Gallen series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils that formed in alluvium derived mainly from gravelly calcareous material. Gallen soils are on hillslopes and fan terraces. Slope ranges from 1 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 356 mm (14 in) and mean annual air temperature is about 17 degrees C (62 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Ustic Haplocalcids

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

A--0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine and few medium roots; 40 percent pebbles; calcium coatings on undersides of pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 33cm thick)

Bk1--10 to 38 cm (4 to 15 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 70 percent pebbles; calcium carbonate coatings on all sides of pebbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 41 cm thick)

Bk2--38 to 64 cm (15 to 25 in); light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; 80 percent pebbles; coatings of calcium carbonate on undersides of pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

2Bky1--64 to 76 cm (25 to 30 in); light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sand; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; 90 percent pebbles; coatings of calcium carbonate on underside of pebbles; few sand size gypsum crystals; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 15 cm thick)

2Bky2--76 to 150 cm (30 to 60 in); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 50 percent pebbles; some undersides of pebbles coated with calcium carbonate; pendants of gypsum on undersides of pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0)

TYPE LOCATION: Chaves County, New Mexico; 750 feet east and 1,900 feet south of northwest corner, sec. 24, T. 4 S., R. 25 E.; Latitude: 33 degrees, 56 minutes, 49 seconds N.; Longitude: 104 degrees, 16 minutes, 33 seconds W; Deering Place, New Mexico Quad; NAD 27

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The soil is intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section November through March and June through September.
Mean annual soil temperature: 14 to 20 degrees C (57 to 68 degrees F).
Particle size control section: 10 to 18 percent clay, 35 to 90 percent coarse fragments
Gypsum content: 0 to 5 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy loam or loam (gravelly to extremely gravelly counterparts)

Bk horizon, or Bw horizon (where present):
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 8, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam (gravelly to extremely gravelly counterparts)
Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 40 percent.

2Bky horizon (where present):
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam (gravelly to extremely gravelly counterparts)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chilicotal (TX), Gilland (NM), Polar (TX), Powerline (AZ) and Tombstone (AZ) series.
Chilicotal soils: 18 to 35 percent clay in the particle size control section
Gilland soils: paralithic contact at 50 to 76 cm
Polar soils: moist for longer periods in the moisture control section mainly in spring
Powerline soils: 50 to 100 cm to a paralithic contact
Tombstone soils: receive significant winter precipitation.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: gravelly calcareous alluvium
Landform: hillslopes and fan terraces
Slope: 1 to 50 percent
Mean annual temperature: 14 to 20 degrees C (57 to 68 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 305 to 381 mm (12 to 15 in).
Precipitation pattern: Most precipitation occurs in the summer during brief heavy thunderstorms
Frost-free period: 180 to 240 days.
Elevation: 1,060 to 1,620 meters (3,800 to 5,400 ft).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ratliff and Redona soils. Ratliff and Redona soils: have less than five percent pebbles in the control section and are on higher landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately rapid. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 3 percent, very low on 3 to 5 percent slopes, low on 5 to 10 percent slopes, medium on 10 to 20 percent slopes, and high on slopes greater than 20 percent.

USE AND VEGETATION: Primarily used for livestock grazing. Present native vegetation is blue grama, sideoats grama, black grama, threeawn, and fourwing saltbush. The ecological site is Gravelly (R070XB065NM).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Upper Pecos River Valley (MLRA 70B in LRR G) of east central New Mexico. Gallen soils are of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chaves County (North Part), New Mexico, 1981.

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

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 cm (A horizon).
Calcic horizon: 10 to 64 cm. (Bk horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: none

TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.