LOCATION NETOMA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, gypsic, mesic Leptic Haplogypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Netoma fine loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; fine and very fine roots; 5 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent with disseminated calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
By1--2 to 9 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; very fine roots; common medium nests of gypsum crystals; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 17 inches thick)
By2--9 to 19 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common medium nests of gypsum crystals; slightly effervescent; few fine masses; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 20 inches thick)
C1--19 to 31 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common medium and very fine roots; slightly effervescent with disseminated calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 17 inches thick)
C2--31 to 39 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/4) loam; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; 5 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent with disseminated calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 29 inches thick)
C3--39 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/4) loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 10 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; with disseminated lime; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Socorro County, New Mexico; 19 miles north of Bingham; NE 1/4, NW 1/4, SW 1/4, sec. 31, T. 1 S., R. 5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typically portions of the control section are moist during December and January and for periods during July, August, and September after convective storms.
Depth to gypsic horizon: 1 to 15 inches
Control Section:
Carbonates and gypsum average greater than 40 percent by weight:
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Fine-earth fraction: average 10 to 18 percent clay; coarse, medium and fine sand is greater than 15 percent.
Salinity: slightly saline, (4 to 8 dS/m)
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam or sandy loam
By horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 8 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6
Percent gypsum: 40 to 75 by weight
Percent carbonates: 5 to 15 by weight, averages less than 15 percent by weight
C horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7,5YR, or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Percent gypsum: 35 to 45 by weight
Percent calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 by weight
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Mccullan and Rayohill series. Similar soils are the Alamogordo and Yesum series. Mccullan soils are moist in the soil moisture control section for shorter periods because of lower rainfall component in addition to warmer soil temperatures as a result of lower elevations. Rayohill soils have gypsum bedrock between 20 and 40 inches of the surface. Alamogordo and Yesum soils are in the thermic family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Netoma soils are on fan terraces and knolls. Slopes are 2 to 12 percent. The soils formed from alluvium derived from gypsum rock. The average annual temperature ranges from 49 to 58 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 13 inches. The frost-free period ranges from 120 to 180 days. Elevation ranges from 5,500 to 6,500 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Claunch, Jornaham, La Fonda and the competing Rayohill soils. Claunch soils are fine-loamy and on alluvial fans. Jornaham soils have mixed mineralogy and are on knolls and piedmont slopes. La Fonda soils have a cambic horizon and have mixed mineralogy and are on drainageways.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is low on 2 to 5 percent slopes and medium on slopes greater than 5 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland. Native vegetation is black grama, blue grama, oneseed juniper and Mormon-tea.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central New Mexico in MLRA 70. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Socorro County, New Mexico, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 2 inches. (A horizon)
Gypsic horizon: 2 to 19 inches. (By horizon)
Gypsic mineralogy: 10 to 40 inches. (By2, C1, C2, C3 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: None