LOCATION GALZUNI NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Galzuni loam--in rangeland on an east-facing convex slope of 3 percent at an elevation of 7,420 feet. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine vesicular pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 4 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 8 to 26 inches.)
Bt2--4 to 14 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films coating faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 8 to 26 inches.)
Bt3--14 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films coating faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 8 to 26 inches.)
Btk--23 to 32 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films bridging sand grains and coating faces of peds; slightly effervescent; few fine irregular soft filaments of calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bk1--32 to 52 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; few fine irregular soft filaments of calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 33 to 46 inches.)
Bk2--52 to 65 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; few fine irregular soft filaments of calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Cibola County, New Mexico; Shoemaker Canyon Quadrangle; about 2 miles west of Shoemaker Canyon on the Zuni Indian Reservation; 108 degrees 35 minutes 59 seconds west longitude, 34 degrees 56 minutes 47 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 April, but not moist in all parts for 45 consecutive days from January through April. 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 55 degrees F
Particle-size control section: 35 to 50 percent clay
Depth to calcium carbonate : 10 to 30 inches
A horizon:
Value: 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Bt horizons:
Textures: clay or clay loam
Btk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 5 percent
Bk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 moist
Texture: sandy clay, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 5 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bryway (NM), Galestina (NM) and Regracic (NM) series. Bryway soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact with shale. Galestina soils are deep to a paralithic contact with shale. Regracic soils have a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Galzuni soils formed in eolian and alluvial materials derived from upper Cretaceous Era shale and sandstone. Galzuni soils are on summits of mesas, dipslopes of cuestas, and footslopes of hills. Slopes are 1 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 6,800 to 7,600 feet. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 53 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 13 to 16 inches. The frost free period is 100 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bryway, Evpark, Highdye, and Parkelei soils on summits of mesas and dipslopes of cuestas; the Silcat soils on valley floors, valley sides, and footslopes of hills; and the Toldohn and Vessilla soils on escarpments of mesas and cuestas. The Bryway and Evpark soils are moderately deep to shale and sandstone. The Highdye and Vessilla soils are shallow to sandstone. The Parkelei soils have less than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. The Silcat soils lack an argillic horizon and have vertic properties. The Toldohn soils are shallow to shale.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff, and slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This series is used for rangeland. Present vegetation is big sagebrush, rubber rabbitbrush, winterfat, pingue, broom snakeweed, blue grama, western wheatgrass, sand dropseed, bottlebrush squirreltail, Indian ricegrass, and scattered pinyon and oneseed juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central New Mexico. MLRA 35, 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 2 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 2 to 32 inches. (Bt1, Bt1, Bt3, and Btk horizons)
Pale great group: No lithic or paralithic contact within 40 inches and an absolute increase of 20 percent clay from the A horizon to the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons and an abrupt boundary at the base of the A horizon.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.