LOCATION MAJADA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Majada cobbly fine sandy loam-pinyon and juniper woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) cobbly fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to weak fine and very fine granular; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; common fine pores; approximately 10 percent cobbles; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky and moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; approximately 20 percent cobbles, pebbles, and few stones; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate and strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; thin clay films; common fine and few coarse roots; many fine pores; approximately 40 percent cobbles and stones; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--14 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly sandy clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; very firm, very sticky and plastic; few fine and coarse roots; few fine pores; thin clay films; approximately 50 percent cobbles and stone; slightly calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bk1--19 to 30 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few medium and coarse roots; few fine pores; very strongly calcareous with common medium prominent white (10YR 8/1) lime nodules and coatings on fragments; approximately 70 percent cobbles and stones; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6) gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bk2--30 to 40 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) and white (10YR 8/1) extremely cobbly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; hard, firm and slightly sticky; weakly cemented in the upper part; approximately 70 percent cobbles and stones; very strongly calcareous; lime coatings on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
Ck--40 to 60 inches, white (10YR 8/1) and light-gray (10YR 7/2) very cobbly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) when moist; massive; hard, firm when moist; slightly sticky and slightly plastic when wet; 70 percent cobblestones and stones; no roots; coarse fragments weakly cemented by lime in the upper part; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about 1.7 miles southwest of Colorado Peak on the Caja Del Rio Grant; SE 1/4 sec. 6, T. 16N., R.7E. (Area unsurveyed - survey lines projected.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the weakly cemented horizon ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Pebbles and cobbles on the surface range from 35 to 80 percent. These soils are usually dry between early October and late May. The upper part is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline, and is strongly calcareous or very strongly calcareous.
The A and Bt horizons have hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 3 through 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. In the lower part the Bt has chroma of 2 to 4. The B2t horizon ranges from sandy clay loam to heavy loam or clay loam and averages less than 35 percent clay and more than 35 percent coarse fragments. Individual horizons have sandy clay texture.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 6 through 8 dry and 4 or 5 moist and chroma 1 through 4. Its fine earth fraction ranges from sandy clay loam to loam or clay loam. Lime content of the fine earth material in the Bk horizons ranges from about 15 to 25 percent. Cementation ranges from weak to strong in the Bk2 horizon. Cindery material ranges from 0 to 10 percent in the lower part of the Bk1 and Bk2 horizon. Rock fragments range from 25 to 70 percent below 40 inches and are stones, cobbles, and gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Irock, Lantis (T), Mokiak, Montoso, Murdo, Netherland, Salas and Willowman series. Irock, Lantis, Mokiak and Nederland soils lack a calcic horizon. Mokiak and Salas soils have bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Montoso soils have more than 10 percent cinders and lack cementation. Murdo soils have gravelly sand and sand and gravel in the lower part. Willowman soils lack weak to strong cementation in the calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Majada soils are at elevations of 5,500 feet to 7,700 feet on uplands and hill lands. Slopes range from 0 to 50 percent. The soils formed in medium to moderately fine material weathered mainly from basalt, with some eolian influence and with a small amount of cinders. Annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 16 inches and mean annual temperature ranges from 47 to 55 degrees F. The precipitation pattern has a marked summer maximum. The frost-free period is 115 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Calabasas, Montosa, Panky, and Silver soils. Calabasas soils lack a mollic epipedon and argillic horizon. Silver, Panky, and Calabasas soils have less than 35 percent coarse fragments and lack a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability in the surface soil and moderately slow in the B horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used dominantly by wildlife but there is some range use and woodcutting. One-seed juniper, pinyon pine, cane cholla, yucca, cacti, snakeweed, blue grama, sideoats grama, black grama and ring muhly on these soils.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern and westcentral New Mexico. These soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County (Santa Fe Area), New Mexico, 1970.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 1/83.