LOCATION NALA                    NM

Tentative Series
Rev. AJM/CDH/WJG
12/2022

NALA SERIES

The Nala series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium derived from mixed sources. Nala soils are on footslopes on interfluves of undulating plains. Slopes are 3 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 13 inches and mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Nala gravelly sandy loam--on a footslope of an undulating plain sloping 12 percent to the south at 6,636 feet elevation--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 12, 2002, the soil was moist 0 to 2 inches and otherwise dry throughout.)

A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and few very fine roots; many very fine irregularly shaped pores; 30 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent (13 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bw--2 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches)

Bk1--7 to 19 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few medium vesicular and few fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine rounded concretions and soft masses (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary.

Bk2--19 to 33 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as many fine rounded concretions and few medium irregularly shaped soft masses (14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary.

Bk3--33 to 49 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; ; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as many fine concretions and few medium irregularly shaped soft masses (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 25 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 35 to 50 inches)

2Ck--49 to 82 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 80 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine concretions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, about 7 miles north-northeast of Stanley; 2,095 feet east and 2,582 feet south of the northwest corner of Section 1, T11N, R9E; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 12 minutes 27.2 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 56 minutes 10.3 seconds West, NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section (SMCS) is intermittently moist in some part from July to October and December to March. Additional run-on occurs from July through September. The soils are driest in May and June. The soil moisture regime is ustic aridic.

Soil temperature - 51 to 53 degrees F.
Depth to base of ochric epipedon - 2 inches
Depth to base of calcic horizon - greater than 40 inches

Particle-size control section weighted averages:
Silicate clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Sand content: 55 to 70 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 50 to 65 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles

Salinity: dS/m - 0 to 2
Sodicity: SAR - 0 to 4

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: gravelly sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 34 percent gravel, 0 to 2 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent

Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: gravelly sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 34 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent

Bk and BCk(where present) horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: gravelly sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent

2Ck horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: extremely gravelly coarse sand, extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 1 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 60 to 80 percent
60 to 75 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles

COMPETING SERIES: Current competitors are the Abracon, ThumbRock, Chroder, Chugcity, Chupadera, Cobbra, Harvey, Milok, Mivida, Sazi and Yattle.

Abracon, Chroder, Cobbra, Harvey, Milok, Mivida and Yattle soils have less than 15% rock fragments in the particle size control section. In addition, Chroder and Yattle soils are more moist during spring months.
ThumbRock, Chugcity, Chupadera, and Sazi soils are moderately deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nala soils are on footslopes on interfluves of undulating plains. They formed in slope alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes are 3 to 15 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,200 to 7,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches with about 45 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free period is 140 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arojomil, Pastura, and Tapia soils. Arojomil soils are fine-loamy, have petrocalcic and argillic horizons, and are on summits and shoulders of undulating plains. Pastura soils are loamy, have petrocalcic horizons, and are on shoulders and beveled summits. Tapia soils are fine-silty, have an argillic horizon, and are on summits.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is low; permeability is moderately rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: Nala soils are used for livestock grazing and farming. Present vegetation is blue grama, sand dropseed, and winterfat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Nala soils are of small extent in the northern part of the Estancia Basin in the Mexican Highland section of the Basin and Range physiographic province in northcentral New Mexico, MLRA 70C.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES PROPOSED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Area Soil Survey Update; 2002. Nala is a coined name.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - 0 inches to a depth of about 2 inches. (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - 7 to about 49 inches. (Bk horizons)

Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.