LOCATION HECKLY NM
Established Series
Rev. SAZ/WWJ
12/2022
HECKLY SERIES
The Heckly series consists of moderately deep to interbedded sandstone and siltstone, well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in colluvium over residuum derived from sandstone and siltstone. Heckly soils are on sideslopes of hills and ridges. Slopes range from 5 to 40 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 18 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Heckly extremely channery sandy loam--in a ponderosa pine woodland, on a south facing, convex, 38 percent slope at an elevation of 8,030 (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) extremely channery sandy loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; 55 percent channers, 10 percent flagstones (rock fragments are sandstone and siltstone); slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--3 to 15 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) channery clay, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; strong very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent channers (rock fragments are sandstone and siltstone); slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--15 to 38 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) very channery silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and coating rock fragments; 40 percent channers (rock fragments are sandstone and siltstone); slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 17 to 35 inches)
R--38 inches; very fine-grained sandstone and siltstone
TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; Page Quadrangle; about 0.5 mile north of Page, New Mexico; 108 degrees 26 minutes 34 seconds west longitude, 35 degrees 19 minutes 46 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The SMCS is usually moist, in some part, for more than 90 cumulative days from May through October. It is usually dry, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 42 to 47 degrees F
Particle size control section: 35 to 45 percent clay
Depth to lithic contact: 20 to 40 inches
Rock Fragments: weighted average of the control section is 20 to 35 percent.
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
A horizon
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Rock fragments: 10 to 70 percent total; 10 to 55 percent channers and 0 to 10 percent flagstones. (all rock fragments are sandstone)
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Textures: clay loam, silty clay loam, or clay
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent total; 10 to 30 percent channers and 0 to 10 percent flagstones. (all rock fragments are sandstone)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Crow (MT),
Dargol (NM),
Echolake (CO),
Fortlewis (CO),
Ligocki (NM),
Lubrecht (MT),
Rittel (MT),
Valnor (NM), and
Zuni (NM) series. Crow and Ligocki soils are very deep. Crow soils have an ustic moisture regime that borders on udic. Echolake, Lubrecht, Rittel and Valnor soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Dargol, Rittel, and Valnor soils all have hues of 2.5Y. Fortlewis soils have combination B/E horizons. The Zuni soils formed from granitic material.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Heckly soils formed in colluvium over residuum derived from very fine-grained sandstone and siltstone on sideslopes of hills and ridges. Slopes are 5 to 40 percent. Elevations range from 7,800 to 8,200 feet. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches. The frost free period is 90 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cinnadale,
Ligocki,
Polich,
Robolata, and
Zuni soils. Cinnadale soils are shallow and loamy on summits and shoulders of hills and ridges. Ligocki, Polich, and Robolata soils are very deep on valley sides and floors. Zuni soils formed from gneissic-granite on summits of igneous domes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high to very high runoff, and slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This series is used for wood products and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is a Ponderosa pine woodland with an understory of Rocky Mountain juniper, Gambel oak, mountain muhly, Arizona fescue, pine dropseed, bottlebrush squirreltail, prairie junegrass, little bluestem, and muttongrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central, New Mexico; MLRA 39, 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)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 3 to 38 inches. (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact: 38 inches--very fine-grained sandstone and siltstone. (R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.