LOCATION HIGHTOWER NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Torriorthentic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Hightower loam--rangeland. (Colors are for
dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, very dark
grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy and
strong very fine granular structure; soft, very friable,
nonsticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine
roots; 2 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline; clear smooth
boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
A2--3 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, dark
brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky
structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard,
friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and
very fine roots; many worm casts; 2 percent pebbles;
strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth
boundary. (4 to 13 inches thick)
Bw--15 to 25 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark
yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular
blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky
and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots;
common worm casts; 2 percent pebbles; violently
effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
(6 to 15 inches thick)
R--25 inches; andesite.
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, New Mexico; about 3 miles
north of Angus; 20 feet west of ranch road, 350 feet south
of intersection in SW 1/4 of SW 1/4, sec. 34, T. 9 S., R. 14
E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the
soil moisture control section December through April and
July through September. The soil is driest during May and
June.
Soil Temperature: 47 to 56 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock: 20 to 40 inches
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Reaction: mildly to moderately alkaline
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent clay
A horizon: Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam of clay loam
Bw horizon: Hue - 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 dry
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam, clay loam, gravelly loam, or gravelly clay
loam
C horizon,if present : Hue - 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6
Texture: loam, clay loam, sand loam with or without
gravelly modifiers
COMPETING SERIES: There are the
Connerton,
Nucla,
Ralphston,
Sidney, and
Tarryall soils. Connerton soils have
hues of 5YR or redder. Nucla and Ralphston soils are more
than 40 inches to a lithic contact. Sidney soils are moist
in at least some part of the soil moisture control section
during
May and June. Tarryall soils have more than 15
percent limestone rock fragments in the particle-size
control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hightower soils are on hills. Slopes
range from 3 to 30 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,300 to
7,500 feet. The soils formed in local alluvium from
andesite and sandstone. The mean annual precipitation is 14
to 18 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 45 to 56
degrees F. The average frost-free period is about 130 to
160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Bernal,
Deacon,
Oro Grande, and
Paco soils. The Bernal and Oro
Grande soils are shallow to bedrock and usually upslope from
the Hightower soils. The Deacon soils are deep and on
nearby landscapes. The Paco soils are deep and are in lower positions on the landscape than the Hightower soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff;
moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Hightower soils are used for grazing
livestock. Plants are bluegrama, western wheatgrass, and
wolftail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Hightower soils are of small
extent in southcentral New Mexico.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, New Mexico, 1981.
REMARKS: DIAGNOSTIC HORIZONS AND FEATURES RECOGNIZED IN
THIS PEDON ARE:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 15 inches
Lithic contact: 25 inches