LOCATION OSHA NM
Established Series
IRD: RJA-KLS
01/2023
OSHA SERIES
The Osha series consists of deep, well drained soils, with moderately rapid permeability. These soils formed in material derived from granite and are on mountain slopes and ridgetops. Slopes are 3 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 480 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Osha gravelly loam--woodland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 4 cm; undecomposed leaves, needles, and twigs.
Oe--4 to 8 cm; partially decomposed leaves, needles, and twigs.
A1--8 to 36 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; fine granular structure in uppermost few centimeters; very weak, fine, subangular blocky structure in lower part; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; neutral (pH 7.2); 30 percent fine gravel; gradual smooth boundary.
A2--36 to 54 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; neutral (pH 7.0); 40 percent gravel; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw--54 to 90 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly acid (pH 6.3); 40 percent gravel; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt--90 to 136 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly acid (pH 6.3); thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; about 80 percent gravel; abrupt smooth boundary.
R--136 cm; hard, weakly fractured granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Torrance County, New Mexico; Cibola National Forest; SW 1/4 sec. 23, T. 7 N., R. 5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture--The soil moisture control section is moist in all parts during the 120 days following the winter solstice and is dry in all parts periodically during late May and June. It is moist in all parts more than 40 percent of the time that the soil temperature is greater than 5 degrees C.
Mean annual soil temperature--7 to 8 degrees C
Particle-size control section:
Clay content--6 to 12 percent
The fine-earth fraction by weighted average is finer than loamy fine sand.
A horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--1 through 3
Texture--coarse sandy loam or loam
Rock fragment content--15 to 60 percent, mostly gravel
B or C horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma--3 through 6
Texture--coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Sand content--more than 50 percent fine sand or coarser
Rock fragment content--35 to 80 percent gravel
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bitton,
Datino,
Grousecreek (T),
Heely (T),
Labre,
Perma,
Pesmore,
Peso,
Pesowyo,
Sandia,
Slimbutte,
Subwell,
Veatch and Wanagin series. The Bitton, Grousecreek, Perma, Slimbutte, and Wanagin soils are not dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section during the month of June. The Datino, Labre, Pesmore, Peso, and Subwell soils have Bk or calcic horizons. The Heely, Peso, Pesmore, Pesowyo, and Veatch soils are moderately deep. The Sandia soils have particle-size control sections with 50 to 80 percent stones and cobbles and lack clay skins in the B or C horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain ridges and mountain slopes
Elevation--1975 to 2750 meters
Slope--3 to 70 percent
Parent material--colluvium and/or slope alluvium over residuum derived from granite
Mean annual precipitation--410 to 560 mm
Mean annual air temperature--5 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free period--60 to 110 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, wildlife habitat, livestock grazing, and recreation. Present vegetation is ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, Rocky Mountain juniper, mountain muhly, mountain brome, and muttongrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Osha soils are of small extent in the mountains of central New Mexico; MLRAs 39 and 48A.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Torrance County, New Mexico, 1968
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon--8 to 36 cm (A1 horizon)
Bt feature--90 to 136 cm, containing clay films but lacking sufficient clay increase to qualify as an argillic horizon.
Particle-size control section--25 to 100 cm (part of the A2, all of the Bw and part of the Bt horizon)
Classification changed from Loamy-skeletal, mixed Typic Paleborolls to Loamy-skeletal, mixed Typic Haploborolls. The soils lack sufficient clay increase to qualify as an argillic horizon.
Osha soils have a frigid soil temperature regime and an ustic soil moisture regime.
Converted to metric and O horizons were updated to start at zero. Competing series section was not updated. 01/2023
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.