LOCATION MONPARK NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Leptic Haplotorrerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Monpark silty clay--in rangeland on a convex surface of 6 percent slope at an elevation of 6,570 feet. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) silty clay, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; strong thin platy structure parting to strong fine granular; soft, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; cracks 1 cm. wide extend from surface to 20 inches; carbonates are disseminated; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
BC--4 to 7 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) silty clay, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; many pressure faces; carbonates are disseminated; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
2BCss--7 to 27 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular pores; 5 percent shale fragments; many pressure faces and few 1 to 2 inch diameter slickensides; carbonates are disseminated; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 35 inches thick)
2Cr--27 inches; shale
TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; Zuni Quadrangle; about 2.9 miles southwest of Zuni Pueblo; 1,900 feet east and 1,700 feet south of the northwest corner of Sec. 8, R 19 W, T 9 N; 108 degrees 54 minutes 32 seconds west longitude, 35 degrees 01 minutes 40 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The SMCS is usually dry, in all parts, 105 to 160 cumulative days from April through October. It is usually moist, in some part, 50 to 105 cumulative days during the same period. It is intermittently moist in some part November through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 51 to 56 degrees F
Particle size control section: 40 to 60 percent clay
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches to shale
Percent calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Salinity: EC of 0-2 mmhos/cm
Sodicity: SAR of 0-2
BC horizons:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: silty clay or clay (silty clay loam may occur in the upper part of the BC horizon)
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline
Salinity: EC of 0-4 mmhos/cm
Sodicity: SAR of 2-5
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Denco (UT) series. The Denco soils have a Typic aridic moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Monpark soils formed in alluvium or slope alluvium over residuum derived from Triassic shale of the Chinle formation and the Glen Canyon Group, undivided. Monpark soils are on sideslopes of hills and alluvial fans on valley sides. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 6000 to 7000 feet. The mean annual temperature is 49 to 54 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation is 10 to 13 inches. The frost free period is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Rizno and Tekapo soils on escarpments; the Aquima, Flugle, Fragua, and Hawaikuh soils on fan terraces; and the Venadito and Ojocal soils on valley floors. Rizno and Tekapo soils are shallow to sandstone and shale respectively. The Aquima soils have a cambic horizon and have a fine-loamy control section. The Flugle, Fragua, and Hawaikuh soils have argillic horizons. Venadito and Ojocal soils are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high to very high runoff, very slow and slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. Present vegetation is western wheatgrass, alkali sacaton, winterfat and widely scattered oneseed juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central New Mexico. MLRA 35, LRR-D. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McKinley County Area, New Mexico; McKinley County and Parts of Cibola and San Juan Counties, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 4 inches. (A horizon)
Vertic features: Cracks 1 cm. wide extending from the surface to a depth of 20 inches or more and few 1 to 2 inch diameter slickensides.
Paralithic contact: Shale at 27 inches. (2Cr horizon)
Leptic feature: paralithic contact at 27 inches.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.