LOCATION JOACHEM NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Lithic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Joachem gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; 25 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--3 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; few thin clay films on the faces of peds; 15 percent pebbles and l5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
C--8 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 20 percent pebbles and 20 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6). (0 to 6 inches thick)
2R--11 inches; rhyolitic tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Catron County. New Mexico; about 2 miles north of Old Horse Springs; in SE1/4, NE1/4, sec. 24, T. 4 S., R. 14 W.; 108 degrees, 14 minutes, 48 seconds w. longitude; 33 degrees, 56 minutes, 51 seconds n. 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: 49 to 53 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock: 6 to 20 inches
A horizon
Chroma - 2 or 3.
Texture: gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loamy sand.
Rock fragments: (l0 to 30 percent) gravel 10 to 25 percent, cobbles 0 to 10 percent, stones 0 to 5 percent. Averages no more than 30 percent.
Bt and C horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: gravelly sandy loam, cobbly sandy loam, cobbly loam.
Clay: 9 to l8 percent.
Soil reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Rock fragments: pebbles 10 to 20 percent, cobbles 0 to 15 percent (averages l5 to 35 percent).
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Margosa (NM) series and the Bernal (NM) series when classification is updated to include the Aridic subgroup. Bernal soils have 18 to 35 percent clay in the control section. Margosa soils have a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Joachem soils are on hills underlain with tuff. Slopes range from 3 to 15 percent. Elevation ranges from 7,100 to 7,600 feet. The mean annual precipitation is about 12 to 15 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 47 to 51 degrees F. The average frost-free season is about 120 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Faraway, Motoqua, Abrazo and Apache series. Apache soils do not argillic horizons and have 18 to 35 percent clay in their control sections. Motoqua soils are skeletal and have 25 to 35 percent clay in the control section. Abrazo soils are moderately deep and have more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Faraway soils are in a skeletal family.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used as rangeland. Present vegetation includes blue grama, galleta, western wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, sideoats grama, oneseed juniper, pinyon pine and a few ponderosa pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This series is of moderate extent in westcentral New Mexico. MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Catron County, New Mexico, l982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 0 to 8 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 3 to 8 inches (B horizon)
Lithic contact: 11 inches (2R horizon)
Reclassified in an Aridic Lithic subgroup in 2006.