LOCATION NOLAM                   NM+AZ

Established Series
Rev. HEB/CEM/PDC
10/2012

NOLAM SERIES

The Nolam series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slow permeable soils that formed in alluvial sediments derived from rhyolite and andesite on terraces and piedmonts. Slopes range from 1 to 30 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches. Mean annual air temperature is about 66 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Ustic Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Nolam very gravelly sandy loam - rangeland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.).

A--0 to 2 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium roots; 35 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary (1 to 4 inches thick).

Bt--2 to 10 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; some volumes of 5YR hue; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common prominent clay films coating and bridging sand grains and gravel; 45 percent gravel, 3 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary (4 to 20 inches thick).

Btk--10 to 17 inches; dominantly reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; some parts have 7.5YR hue, particularly in the lower part; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few distinct clay films coating and bridging sand grains and gravel; 50 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary (2 to 16 inches thick).

Bk1--17 to 24 inches; dominantly pink (7.5YR 8/4) very gravelly sandy loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; strongly effervescent; most gravel are separated by calcium carbonate; 45 percent gravel; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary (6 to 12 inches thick).

Bk2--24 to 40 inches; mixed pink (7.5YR 8/4) and light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) and brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate thickly coats gravel in light colored parts, thinly coats them in darker parts, light and dark parts occur in nearly vertical tongues and in irregular volumes, 1 to several inches across; 45 percent gravel; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary (10 to 20 inches thick).

Bk3--40 to 52 inches; alternating tongues and lenses of very pale brown (10YR 7/4) and brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; strongly effervescent; light colored parts commonly held together by weak carbonate cementation, darker parts have only thin carbonate coatings; 45 percent gravel; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary (8 to 20 inches thick).

Bk4--52 to 71 inches; dominantly brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; few tongues and lenses of pink (7.5YR 8/4), light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; strongly effervescent; material weakly held together by calcium carbonate; 40 percent gravel; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary (10 to 30 inches thick).

C--71 to 79 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive and single grained; soft, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly effervescent; some gravel have very thin discontinuous calcium carbonate coatings; 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; 200 feet west of Soledad Canyon road, south bank of arroyo; in the NE 1/4 of section 21, T.23 S., R.3 E.; 106 degrees 38 minutes 18 seconds west longitude and 32 degrees 17 minutes 45 seconds north latitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July through September and December through April. Driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 59 to 69 degrees F.

Rock fragments: more than 35 percent

Depth to calcic horizon: 20 to 40 inches

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam

Bt and Btk horizons
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam (averages 18 to 35 percent clay)

Bk and C horizons
Hue: 2.5YR through 10YR
Value: 4 through 8 dry, 3 through 8 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, sand, clay loam

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alsco (AZ), Beewon (I-TX), and Throne (I-AZ) series. Alsco soils typically have hue of 7.5YR or yellower in the argillic. Beewon and Throne soils are inactive.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Nolam soils are on fan piedmonts and fan terraces. Slopes range from 1 to 30 percent. Elevation ranges from 3,500 to 6,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from about 10 to 16 inches. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 57 to 67 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 180 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Boracho, Monterosa, Stronghold, and Terino soils. Terino soils are shallow and have petrocalcic horizons. Boracho, and Monterosa soils have a petrocalcic horizon and lack an argillic horizon. Stronghold soils lack argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate or moderately slow permeability; runoff is medium on slopes 1 to 5 percent, high on slopes 5 to 20 percent, and very high on slopes greater than 20 percent.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used primarily for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation includes snakeweed, range ratany, fluffgrass, prickly pear, yucca and creosotebush. In some areas there are scattered clumps of black grama and bush muhly.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico, Southeastern Arizona, West Texas. MLRAs 41 and 42. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; 1972.

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

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)

Argillic horizon - the zone from 2 to 17 inches (Bt, Btk horizons)

Calcic horizon - the zone from 24 to 52 inches (Bk2, Bk3 horizons)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

Updated competing series section 3/20/08, CEM

Revised for the correlation of Presidio County, Texas ; Oct, 2012, WWJ

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.