LOCATION LACARRETA NM
Established Series
Rev GWC-DAW
03/2016
LACARRETA SERIES
The Lacarreta series consists of moderately deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in gypsiferous lacustrine deposits. These nearly level soils are on playas. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 67 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Gypseous-skeletal, hypergypsic, thermic Gypsic Aquisalids
TYPICAL PEDON: Carreta gypsiferous coarse sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
Cnyyz1--0 to 5 inches; white (10YR 8/1) gypsiferous coarse sand, light gray (10YR 7/2), moist; 4 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many medium interstitial pores; salt, finely disseminated and gypsum, finely disseminated throughout; noneffervescent; 77 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0; electrical conductivity 24.8 dS/m; strongly saline; gradual smooth boundary.
Cnyyz2--5 to 21 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very channery gypsiferous coarse sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2), moist; 1 percent clay; massive; moderately hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; many medium interstitial pores; salt, finely disseminated and gypsum, finely disseminated throughout; 40 percent, flat, angular, very strongly cemented, 2 to 150-millimeter, gypsum crystal fragments; noneffervescent; 79 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5; electrical conductivity 37.2 dS/m; strongly saline; clear smooth boundary.
Cnyyzg--21 to 28 inches; light greenish gray (10Y 7/1) extremely channery gypsiferous coarse sand, gray (N 6), moist; 1 percent clay; massive; very hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; many medium interstitial pores; salt, finely disseminated and gypsum, finely disseminated throughout; 65 percent, flat, angular, very strongly cemented, 2 to 150-millimeter, gypsum crystal fragments; noneffervescent; 46 percent gypsum; neutral, pH 7.2; electrical conductivity 114.0 dS/m; strongly saline; abrupt smooth boundary.
2Bnyyzgm--28 to 60 inches; light greenish gray (10Y 7/1) very strongly cemented material, gray (N 6), moist; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5; electrical conductivity 125.0 dS/m; strongly saline.
TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; USGS Quad Lake Lucero; approximately 16 miles southwest of the intersection of US Highway 70 and the White Sands National Monument entrance; 1,165 north and 439 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 29, Township 18 S, Range 5 E. Latitude: 32 degrees 42 minutes 36.9 seconds north, Longitude: 106 degrees 26 minutes 37.10 seconds west, NAD 83; UTM Easting: 364695 meters, UTM Northing: 3620087 meters. UTM zone 13.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic aridic soil moisture regime based on precipitation. Moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - April. Driest during May and June. This soil has transitory internal free water and a fluctuating water table. Water table is at 10 to 40 inches in most years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 66 to 72 degrees F.
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 1 to 2 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent
Electrical conductivity: 30 to 200 dS/m
Percent gypsum: 70 to 100 percent
Cnyyz horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 7 to 8 dry, 6 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 2, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous coarse sand, gypsiferous sand, gypsiferous loamy coarse sand, gypsiferous loamy sand
Clay: 0 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 100 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
Salinity: moderately to strongly saline
Cnyyzg horizon
Hue: 10Y, N
Value: 7 to 8 dry, 6 to 7 moist
Texture: gypsiferous coarse sand, gypsiferous sand, gypsiferous loamy coarse sand, gypsiferous loamy sand
Clay: 0 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 100 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
2Bnyyzgm horizon
Cemented: gypsum
Hardness: strongly to very strongly
Thickness: 25 to 40 inches, discontinuous
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lacarreta soils are on playas. Slope is 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in gypsiferous lacustrine deposits. Elevation ranges from 3,870 to 3,920 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. Precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The mean annual air temperature is 64 to 70 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 240 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Ratscat (NM) and
Salago (NM) soils. Ratscat soils have gypsic horizons and are on relict shoreline complexes. Salago soils are coarse-gypseous.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; negligible runoff; moderately rapid permeability. Water table ranges from 10 to 40 inches during most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are wildlife habitat, recreation and research activities. Carreta soils are normally devoid of vegetation due to high salt content and ponding.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico, limited to White Sands National Monument, MLRA 42, Lacarreta is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Sands National Monument, Dona Ana County, New Mexico, 2015. The name Carreta is the Spanish word for cart. Carretas were used by local Mexican and native inhabitants to transport salt from Lake Lucero and the Alkali Flat to El Paso del Norte.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 28 inches (Cnyyz2 and Cnyyzg horizons)
Salic horizon - the zone from 5 to 60 inches (Cnyyz2 and Cnyyzg horizons)
Petrogypsic horizon - the zone from 28 to 60 inches (2Bnyyzgm horizons)
Soils classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014
Revised for the correlation of White Sands National Monument, New Mexico; April, 2015, NMS
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.