LOCATION RHODES                  NM

Established Series
Rev GWC
01/2015

RHODES SERIES

The Rhodes series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in fine silty alluvium deposits. These nearly level soils are on broad drainageways and alluvial flats. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, gypsic, thermic Gypsic Haplosalids

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

Ayz--0 to 3 inches (0 to 8 cm); pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) gypsiferous silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3), moist; 20 percent clay; weak and moderate thick platy structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine dendritic tubular pores; gypsum, finely disseminated and carbonate, finely disseminated throughout; strongly effervescent, 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 16 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 7.9; electrical conductivity 26.8 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; clear wavy boundary.

Byz1--3 to 8 inches (8 to 19 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/2) gypsiferous silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2), moist; 30 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common medium roots throughout; few fine dendritic tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and common fine threadlike gypsum masses throughout; strongly effervescent, 6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 23 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.6; electrical conductivity 56.9 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; clear wavy boundary.

Byz2--8 to 20 inches (19 to 50 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) gypsiferous silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3), moist; 25 percent clay; moderate medium and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine dendritic tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and common fine threadlike gypsum masses throughout; strongly effervescent, 4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 24 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.6; electrical conductivity 84.7 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; gradual wavy boundary.

2Byz--20 to 34 inches (50 to 85 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) gypsiferous fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4), moist; 17 percent clay; weak coarse and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, nonsticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots throughout; few very fine dendritic tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and common fine irregular gypsum crystal clusters and common fine threadlike gypsum masses throughout; strongly effervescent, 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 48 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.6; electrical conductivity 59.6 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; clear smooth boundary.

3Byz--34 to 60 inches (85 to 152 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) gypsiferous sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4), moist; 26 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine dendritic tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many medium irregular gypsum crystal clusters throughout; strongly effervescent, 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 35 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0; electrical conductivity 24.4 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline.

TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico. Approximately 3 miles north of the junction of Range Roads 6 and 17, and 3/10 of a mile east of Range Road 17; USGS Quad, Lumley Lake NE; 33 degrees 8 minutes 56.1 seconds north; Longitude: 106 degrees 16 minutes 24.3 seconds west, NAD 83; UTM Easting: 381239 meters UTM Northing: 3668518 meters. UTM zone 13.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic aridic soil moisture regime. The moisture control section is usually dry all in parts more than three-fourths of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 5 degrees C at a depth of 50 cm (41 degrees F. at 20 inches).

Mean annual soil temperature: 64 to 72 degrees F.

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Salinity: moderately to strongly saline
Percent gypsum: 15 to 50 percent, averages less than 40 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 18 percent
Electrical conductivity: 19 to 85 mmhos/cm

Ayz horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 to 6 dry, 4 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous loam, gypsiferous silt, gypsiferous silt loam, gypsiferous silty clay loam
Clay: 18 to 35 percent
Gypsum: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

Byz horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 5 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous silt loam, gypsiferous silty clay loam
Clay: 18 to 35 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

2Byz and 3Byz horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 8 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous fine sandy loam, gypsiferous loam, gypsiferous silt loam, gypsiferous sandy clay loam, gypsiferous silty clay loam
Clay: 15 to 35 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rhodes soils are on fan piedmont drainages and alluvial flats. Slope is 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed from fine-silty alluvium deposits. Elevation ranges from 3,900 to 4,550 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. Precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The mean annual air temperature is 62 to 70 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Shot, Aerobee, and Mimbres soils. Shot soils are sandy and have hypergypsic mineralogy. Aerobee soils do not have a salic horizon. Mimbres soils are fine-silty and do not have a salic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are military exercises and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is alkali sacaton, desert seepweed, fourwing saltbush and honey mesquite

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico, MLRA 42, Rhodes is of limited extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Sands Missile Range, Otero County, New Mexico, 2014. The name Rhodes is derived from Rhodes Canyon in the San Andres Mountains. Rhodes Canyon was named after Eugene Manlove Rhodes, a cowboy novelist, who resided in the area and was buried in the San Andres Mountains in 1934.

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

Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (Byz2, 2Byz and 3Byz horizons)

Salic horizon - the zone from 3 to 34 inches (Byz1, Byz2 and 2Byz horizons)

Gypsic horizon- the zone from 3 to 60 inches (Byz1, Byz2, 2Byz and 3Byz horizons)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

Revised for the correlation of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; October, 2014, NMS

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.