LOCATION ORLIE              NM
Established Series
Rev. JER/RJA/SAZ/WWJ
12/2003

ORLIE SERIES


The Orlie series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in alluvium and eolian materials derived from shale and sandstone on summits of mesas, dipslopes of cuestas, hills, summits of plateaus and fan remnants on valley sides. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 13 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Orlie loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse and common fine roots; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)

Bt1--2 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)

Bt2--13 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic few fine and medium roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)

C1--22 to 36 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)

C2--36 to 50 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)

C3--50 to 65 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico; 6 miles west of the continental divide along the boundary of the Jicarilla Indian Reservation; 1,075 feet south and 700 feet west of the northeast corner of the Sec. 6 T.21 N., R. 3 E. 107 degrees, 11 minutes, 31 seconds west longitude; 36 degrees, 05 minutes, 03 seconds north latitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

The SMCS is usually moist, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days from April through October. It is usually dry, in some part, for more than 120 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through April, but not moist in all parts for 45 consecutive days from January through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Aridic ustic moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 47 to 55 degrees F.

Depth to the base of the Bt horizon: 20 to 40 inches

Rock fragments, by volume: 0 to 15 percent pebbles

Some pedons contain Bk horizons.

A horizon -
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Bt horizon -
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: clay loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: less than 35 percent (more than half the sand separate is very fine sand)
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

C or Bk horizons (when present)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 6 dry, 3 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent

COMPETING SERIES: Current competitors are the Arnor (T), Arwite, Bosonoak, Celavar, Dalhart, Deekay, Elwop, Evpark (T), Flugle, Fort Collins, Gateson, Iwela, Oldwolf, Olnest, Parkelei, Rauzi, Rockybutte, Stoneham, Toluca, and the Wagonhound series. Potential competitors that do not yet have CEA class assigned are the Augustine, Bigbow, Carri (T), Celacy, Dermala, Goesling, Lykorly, Maia, Nyjack, Pinitos, and Ribera series. Arnor soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Augustine, Flugle, Parkelei and Pinitos series have more than 35 percent sand in the particle-size control section. Bigbow soils have buried paleosol horizons. Bosonoak soils have hue redder than 7.5YR. Carri, Celavar, Celacy, Evpark, Gateson, Nyjack and Ribera soils have a lithic or paralithic contact within 40 inch depths. Dermala soils have igneous or metamorphic parent material. Goesling and Maia soils have calcic horizons and will reclassify in the Calcidic subgroup. Iwela soils have a skeletal discontinuity within 40 inches. Lykorly soils have annual soil temperature of 54 to 56 degrees F. The Arwite, Bigbow, Dalhart, Deekay, Elwop, Fort Collins, Oldwolf, Olnest, Rauzi, Rockybutte, Stoneham, Toluca, and Wagonhound soils are in LRR-E or LRR-G soils and are more moist in May and June.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Orlie soils are on summits of mesas, dipslopes of cuestas, hills, summits of plateaus, and fan remnants on valley sides. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. Elevations are 6,000 to 7,500 feet. The soils formed in eolian and alluvial materials from shale and sandstone. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 53 degrees F., and the frost-free period is about 100 to 135 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Menefee, Tinian and Vessilla soils. Menefee and Vessilla soils are less than 20 inches deep to bedrock. Tinian soils are moderately deep to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow
permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Orlie soils are used for livestock grazing. The natural vegetation is western wheatgrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, Indian ricegrass, galleta and big sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern New Mexico. MLRA 36, LRR-D. This series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sandoval County, New Mexico, 1987.

REMARKS:

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to a depth of two inches. (A horizon)

Argillic horizon: The zone from about 2 inches to a depth 22 inches.

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.