LOCATION LACITA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Lacita silt loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 8 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) silt loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; moderate thin platy structure in the upper 1 to 2 inches grading to moderate fine and very fine granular and subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; calcareous, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
AC--8 to 24 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) silt loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; very weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; calcareous, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)
C1--24 to 36 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) heavy silt loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; very weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; slightly evidence of stratification in lower few inches; calcareous; lime disseminated; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C2--36 to 48 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) light silty clay loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; very weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky; few fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; few thin (less than 1 inch) strata of silt loam and fine sandy loam; calcareous, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
C3--48 to 72 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) silty clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; calcareous, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Quay County, New Mexico; NE1/4 SE1/4 SW1/4 of sec. 16, T. 8 N., R. 28 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils to a depth of 40 inches is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline. The 10- to 40-inch section ranges from silt loam or light silty clay loam to loam or light clay loam.
The A and AC horizons has hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 6 dry, 4 through 5 moist, and chroma of 4 through 6. The AC horizon ranges from weak medium and coarse prismatic structure to very weak and weak or medium to coarse subangular blocky structure.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 4 through 6. It has weak medium subangular blocky structure or is massive. Textures are silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alama, Largo, Montoya, Quay, Reyab, and San Jose series in other families. Alama and Reyab soils have cambic horizons. Largo soils are dry in all parts of the soil above the lower boundary of the moisture control section more than 1/2 the time the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. Montoya soils crack when dry and are 35 to 50 percent clay in the control section. San Jose soils are coarse-loamy. Quay soils have a calcic horizon within 40 inches of the surface and have a B2 horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lacita soils are on channeled arroyo bottoms, terraces, and low gradient piedmont slopes and alluvial fans. They formed in medium and moderately fine-textured silty calcareous sediments derived from "redbed" formations. These materials are readily susceptible to water erosion and on sloping areas Lacita soils are usually cut by numerous arroyos. THe climate is semiarid continental. The mean annual temperature is about 57 degrees to 60 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is about 14 to 16 inches. More than 1/2 of the precipitation occurs between early June and the middle of September as thunderstorms. The frost-free season is 180 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ima, La Lande, and Los Tanos soils and the competing Montoya, Quay, and San Jose soils. Ima, La Lande, and Los Tanos soils have cambic horizons and contain more than 15 percent and coarser than very fine in the control section. Also, Los Tanos soils have sandstone at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal use is rangeland but some areas are irrigated where water is available. Native vegetation is giant sacaton, alkali sacaton, sand dropseed, blue grama, hairy grama, sideoats grama, tobosa, buffalo grass, mesquite, yucca, and cholla cacti.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Quay County (Tucumcari Area), New Mexico, 1969.
REMARKS: Lacita soils were formerly included with the Largo series.