LOCATION NARA                    NM+TX

Established Series
Rev. TCB-AB-WJG
06/2020

NARA SERIES

The Nara series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils. The soils formed in sandy, eolian deposits of Holocene age. These soils are on very gently to gently sloping interdunes. Slope ranges from 1 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 406mm (16in), and the mean annual air temperature is about 12 degrees C (54 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, mesic Arenic Aridic Paleustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON:Nara fine sand, on south-facing, very gently sloping interdune, 3 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of about 1542 meters (5,059 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 30 cm, (0 to 12 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; loamy sand; single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (20 to 50 cm [8 to 20 in.] thick)

Bw--30 to 59 cm (12 to 23 in); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; loamy sand, single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. few very fine and fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (15 to 35 cm [6 to 14 in.] thick)

Bt1--59 to 100 cm, (23 to 39 in); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; sandy clay loam; weak prismatic parts to weak subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots throughout and common fine roots throughout and few course roots throughout; 30 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--100 to 160 cm (39 to 63 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; sandy clay loam; weak prismatic parts to weak subangular blocky structure, soft, very friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 20 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--160 to 180 cm (63 to 71 in); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; clay loam; weak prismatic parts to weak subangular blocky structure; soft very friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots throughout and few fine roots throughout; 30 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons 110 to 160 cm [43 to 63 in.] thick)

Bt4--180 to 203 cm (71 to 80 in); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; sandy clay loam; weak prismatic parts to weak subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots throughout; 15 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; moderately alkaline; noneffervescent.

TYPE LOCATION:Union County, New Mexico. From Clayton, New Mexico; approximately 11.8 miles south on State Highway 18; then 5 miles west on State Highway 562; 1.0 mile north on CR-068; 0.3 mile north on private ranch road, then west 1.2 miles in rangeland.
Latitude: 36 degrees, 17 minutes, 38.58 seconds N; Longitude: 103 degrees, 17 minutes, 49.67 seconds W.
Decimal Degrees
Std Latitude: 36.2940500
Std Longitude: -103.2971306
Sand Hill, New Mexico USGS quad; WGS 84

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 180 but less than 220 days, cumulative, in normal years. November through march are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in April through October.
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 15 degrees C (52 to 59 degrees F)
Depth to argillic: 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in).
Depth to calcic horizon: more than 100 cm (40 in).
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent silicate clay.
Solum thickness: more than 203cm (80 in).

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 4
Texture: fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

E horizon (where present):
Hue: 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Bw horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Upper Bt horizons:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam
Mottles: none
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Lower Bt horizons:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Btk horizon (where present):
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam
Secondary calcium carbonate: 3 to 40 percent by volume as masses, nodules, and finely disseminated
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES:There are no series in the same family. Similar soils include the Vingo and Visa series.
Vingo soils are on similar landscape positions and have argillic horizons less than 50 cm deep (20 inches) from the mineral soil surface.
Visa soils are on similar landscape positions and have argillic horizons greater than 100 cm deep (40 inches) from the mineral soil surface.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy, eolian deposits of Holocene Age.
Landform: very gently sloping to gently sloping interdunes.
Slopes: 1 to 5 percent.
Precipitation Pattern: Precipitation is typically uniform throughout most of the year with rainfall the highest from April through October. Average snowfall is about 18 inches annually from November through April.
Mean annual precipitation: 381 to 432 mm (15 to 17 in)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 22 to 28
Mean annual air temperature: 10 to 14 degrees C (50 to 58 degrees)
Frost-free period: 165 to 190 days
Elevation: 1158 to 1798 m (3,800 to 5,899 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the Corlena, Dallam, Karde, Monia, Perico, Rickmore, Spurlock, Valerian, Vingo, and Visaseries.
Dallam, Perico,and Rickmore soils are on nearly level to gently sloping plains have a fine-loamy particle size control section.
Corlena soils are on narrow floodplains of draws have a fine-silty particle-size class.
Kardesoils are on playa dunes and have carbonatic minerology.
Visa soils: are on interdunes and dunes and have an argillic horizon between 40 and 60 inches deep.
Spurlocksoils are on similar landscape positions and have argillic horizons and carbonatic mineralogy.
Valerian soils: are on dunes and have a sandy particle size class.
Vingo soils are on similar landscape positions and have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:Well drained, and moderately rapid permeability. Surface runoff is negligible on slopes less than 3 percent, and very low on 3 to 5 percent.

USE AND VEGETATION:Mainly used for livestock grazing. Climax vegetation is a Tall/Midgrass community. The major tallgrass species are sand bluestem and little bluestem. The midgrasses are sideoats grama, sand lovegrass, sand paspalum, fall witchgrass, hairy grama, blue grama, and dropseed, and perennial threeawns. Woody shrubs consist of yucca, skunkbush sumac, and sand sage, and the occasional sand plum thickets. This is a fragile site and is subject to severe wind erosion if not protected by cover. This soil has been correlated to the Sandy (R077BY658TX) ecological site in MLRA-77B, 12-17" PZ.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico
(MLRA-77B). Land Resource Region: H - Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range Region
MLRA 77B - Southern High Plains, Northwestern Part The series is minor in extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE:Temple, Texas

SERIES PROPOSED:MLRA-77B; Union County, New Mexico; 2020.

REMARKS:The Nara series was formerly included in the Valentine and Vingo series.

ADDITIONAL DATA:P2019NM059102

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 30 cm (0 to 12 in) A horizon
Cambic horizon: 30 to 59 cm (12 to 23 in). Bw horizon
Argillic horizon: 59 to 203cm (23 to 80 in). Bt horizons

Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2017.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.