LOCATION PAYMASTER NM+AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Paymaster fine sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--5 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
C1--10 to 29 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 25 inches thick)
C2--29 to 55 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (20 to 30 inches thick)
C3--55 to 60 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose; 80 percent gravel; common fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, New Mexico; SE1/4 NW1/4 of sec. 17, T. 16 S., R. 11 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Aridic ustic soil moisture regime
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Gravel content to a depth of 40 inches: ranges up to 15 percent
The soil below 40 inches is sand, loamy sand, gravelly loamy sand or extremely gravelly loamy sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crucitas (NM), Haozous (NM), Janude (NE), Kaskan (KS), Lamesilla (NM), and Payter (CO) series. Crucitas soils average more than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section, have significant amounts of medium to very coarse angular granitic sands, and have sandy skeletal substratum. Haozous and Lamesilla (aka Maseeya) soils have AC horizons on the soil surface that are not a part of the mollic epipedon and have sandy skeletal substratum deeper than 60 inches. Janude, Paymaster, and Payter soils average less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section, do not have significant amounts of medium to very coarse angular granitic sands, and do not have sandy skeletal substratum. Haozous soils formed in alluvium derived from Precambrian granite, gneiss, and schist and the mean annual precipitation is 10 to 13 inches. Janude and Kaskan soils have an Ustic moisture regime bordering on Udic, with an average annual precipitation of 28 to 30 inches. Kaskan soils have wet soil moisture status at greater than 5 feet. Lamesilla soils have matrix hues redder than 10YR; are formed in alluvium derived from Precambrian granite, gneiss, and schist; and have mean annual precipitation of 12 to 14 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Paymaster soils are at elevations of 4,500 to 7,000 feet and occur on low alluvial fans or on floodplains. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from granite, limestone, basalt, and acid igneous rock. The climate is semiarid with an average annual precipitation of 12 to 17 inches and a mean annual temperature of 47 to 56 degrees F. The frost free season ranges from 150 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Manzano, Draper, Ellicott, and Tesajo soils. Manzano and Draper soils have a fine, loamy particle size control section. Ellicott soils have a sandy particle size control section. Tesajo soils are loamy, skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for livestock grazing. Where cultivated, used for small grains, alfalfa, and pasture. Native vegetation is mainly blue grama, sideoats grama, sand dropseed, and threeawn.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Grant County, New Mexico. Paymaster soils are small in extent. MLRAs 38 & 35. Paymaster soils have also been mapped in Oklahoma (MLRA 77A) and Colorado (MLRA48A). Use in these areas is not appropriate.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gila River Project, SCS, Arizona, 1937.
Remarks- diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon the zone from 0 to 60 inches (A and C horizons)
Cumulic feature the presence of a mollic epipedon that is greater than 20 inches thick accompanied by an irregular organic matter distribution between 10 and 50 inches
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.