LOCATION MALARGO NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, gypsic, thermic Ustic Haplogypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Malargo gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine pores; 5 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); 30 percent pebbles as desert pavement; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
By1--4 to 11 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine pores; few fine masses of gypsum; 2 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
By2--11 to 25 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine pores; 5 percent pebbles; few faces of peds are coated with gypsum; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
By3--25 to 49 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 7/6) loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine pores; 3 percent pebbles; many medium threads and filaments of gypsum; weakly cemented; few spherical masses of strongly cemented gypsum; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (20 to 30 inches thick)
By4--49 to 60 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/4) fine sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, few fine roots; few very fine pores; 5 percent pebbles; many medium threads and filaments of gypsum; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8)
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, New Mexico; about 14 miles southwest of Carrizozo; 2,000 feet south, 500 feet east of the NW corner of Sec. 1, T. 10 S., R. 8. E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry in all parts less than three-fourths of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 59 to 65 degrees F.
Depth to Gypsic horizon: 12 to 30 inches
Reaction: Moderately to strongly alkaline
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Coarse fragment content: less than 15 percent gravels
Percent Gypsum: 20 to 30 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
By horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 8 dry or moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry or moist
Stratified sand and gravels are common below 60 inches.
Other features: some pedon contain Bw horizons
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Malargo soils are on alluvial basins in the Tularosa Valley. Slopes are dominantly 1 to 8 percent. Elevation ranges from 4,000 to 5,500 feet. Average annual precipitation is about 10 to 12 inches, average annual temperature is about 60 to 64 degrees F. and average frost-free period is about 170 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bluepoint and the competing Reflection series. Bluepoint soils are on sand dunes and have a sandy control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium on slopes of 1 to 5 percent; high runoff on 5 to 8 percent slopes. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Malargo soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Major species are fourwing saltbush, mesquite, and broom snakeweed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Malargo soils are of moderate extent in south central New Mexico. MLRA 42.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, New Mexico, 1981.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (By1, By2, and By3 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 4 inches. (A horizon)
Gypsic horizon: The zone from 25 to 60 inches. (By3 and By4 horizons)
Ustic feature: The soil has an aridic moisture regime that borders on the ustic moisture regime.