LOCATION MAYQUEEN NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Mayqueen loamy fine sand-cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loamy fine sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose dry and moist, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt--3 to 12 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic parting to weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots, few fine and medium continuous pores; thin continuous clay films; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
C1--12 to 24 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loamy fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; single grained; loose dry and moist; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C2--24 to 38 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy fine sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grained; loose dry and moist; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C3--38 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grained; loose dry and moist; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, New Mexico; Navajo Indian Irrigation Project; 1,452 feet west, 1,782 feet south of the northeast corner sec. 21, T. 27 N., R. 12 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic aridic moisture regime
Depth of the solum: 10 to 20 inches
Depth to bedrock: 60 or more inches
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry and 2 through 4 moist
Texture: loamy sand or loamy fine sand
B horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry and moist.
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam
C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry and moist
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sand or loamy sand
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brinkerhoff (AZ), Chacoan (NM), Delp (NV), Enos (WY), Granshaw (NV), Shiprock (NM), Wallson (WY), and Woolsey (NV) series. Brinkerhoff soils have gypsum at 20 inches. Chacoan soils are moderately deep to sandstone bedrock. Delp soils have an argillic horizon composed of lamellae and are slightly or strongly effervescent and very strongly alkaline in the series control section. Enos soils have paralithic contacts of 20 to 40 inches. Granshaw soils have Btk and Bk horizons. Shiprock and Wallson soils lack sandy textures within 40 inches of the surface. Woolsey soils have gravelly argillic horizons and are calcareous throughout.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mayqueen soils are on stabilized sand dunes and alluvial fans on mesas and plateaus. Parent material is sandy alluvium and eolian deposits. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 5,600 to 6,400 feet. Average annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches. Average annual air temperature is 51 to 55 degrees F. Average frost-free season ranges from 140 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Avalon, Doak, Huerfano, Sheppard, and Shiprock soils. Avalon soils have calcic horizons. Doak soils are in the fine-loamy family. Sheppard soils lack argillic horizons. Shiprock soils do not have sandy textures within 40 inches of the surface. Huerfano soils are shallow, in the loamy family, and have natric horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Slow runoff. Permeability is moderately rapid to about 16 inches and rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: Irrigated cropland, urban development, rangeland and wildlife habitat. Present native vegetation is sand dropseed, Indian ricegrass, Mormon-tea, blue grama, sand muhly, small soapweed and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mesas and plateaus of Northwestern New Mexico. Mayqueen soils are of moderate extent. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Juan County, New Mexico, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 3 to 12 inches (Bt horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006
The series was initially proposed in Lyon County, Nevada in 1973. New Mexico is proposing transferring the series and type location to San Juan County, New Mexico. The soils previously mapped Mayqueen in Nevada have been correlated into the Patna series.