LOCATION MILNER NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, gypsic, thermic Ustic Calcigypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Milner loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)
Bk--3 to 9 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; few fine calcium carbonate accumulations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bky--9 to 13 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few medium roots; few fine tubular pores; few fine masses of gypsum crystals; few fine calcium carbonate accumulations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
By1--13 to 17 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) gypsiferous clay loam; red (2.5YR 5/8) moist; massive; hard and dense in places; slightly hard removed, firm in places and friable removed, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 20 percent discontinuous hard masses of gypsum crystals; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 40 inches thick)
By2--17 to 20 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) gypsiferous clay loam, red (2.5YR 5/8) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent discontinuous masses of gypsum crystals; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 20 inches thick)
By3--20 to 60 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) gypsiferous clay loam, red (2.5YR 5/8) moist; massive; hard and dense in places and slightly hard removed; firm in place and friable removed; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 30 percent discontinuous hard masses of gypsum crystals; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Chaves County, New Mexico; 2,300 feet south and 500 feet west of the northeast corner sec. 9, T. 6 S., R. 24 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and June through September.
Soil Temperature: 59 to 64 degrees F.
Depth to gypsic horizon: 10 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent clay
A horizon:
Hue - 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Bk horizon:
Hue - 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam or clay loam
Gypsum content: 1 to 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent
By horizon:
Hue - 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 8 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 8
Texture: loam, or clay loam
Gypsum content: 70 to 85 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 10 percent
C horizon, where present:
Hue - 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8
Gypsum content: 25 to 70 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competitors in the same family. Similar are the Holloman, Russler and Reeves series. Holloman soils do not have a calcic and gypsic horizon. Russler and Reeves soils have a gypsic horizon deeper than 20 inches that has a product of percent gypsum times centimeters exceeding 3000.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Milner soils are on high terraces. They formed in alluvium from calcareous gypsiferous sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 3,600 to 4,500 feet. Average annual precipitation is 11 to 14 inches; average annual temperature is 57 to 61 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 190 to 210 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alama, Holloman, Pajarito, Poquita, and the competing Holloman and Reeves soils. Alama, Pajarito, and Poquita soils do not have highly gypsiferous layers.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 1 percent, low on 1 to 5 percent slopes, and medium on 5 to 8 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Present vegetation includes tobosa, black grama, alkali sacaton, threeawn, blue grama, vine-mesquite, and a variety of perennial and annual forbs and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern and south-central New Mexico. Milner soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chaves County, (North Part), New Mexico, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 3 inches. (A horizon)
Calcic horizon: 3 to 13 inches. (Bk and Bky horizon)
Gypsic horizon: 13 to 20 inches. (By horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL. Sample No. S79NM-5-19.