LOCATION RUIDOSO NM
Established Series
Rev. VGL/JBC
10/2014
RUIDOSO SERIES
The Ruidoso series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in material derived from sedimentary and igneous rocks on alluvial fans and valley sides. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches (358 mm) and the mean annual air temperature is about 55 degrees F (13 degrees C).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ruidoso silty clay loam - range. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches (0 to 8 cm); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common fine interstitial and tubular pores; noncalcareous; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches or 5 to 13 cm thick)
A2--3 to 15 inches (8 to 38 cm); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine interstitial and tubular pores; noncalcareous; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches or 20 to 38 cm thick)
Bt1--15 to 28 inches (38 to 72 cm); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores and old root channels; noncalcareous; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches or 26 to 51 cm thick)
Bt2--28 to 48 inches (72 to 123 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular and subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and lining old root channels; mostly noncalcareous but small areas occur that are weakly calcareous; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches or 26 to 77 cm thick)
Bk--48 to 64 inches (123 to 164 cm); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few roots in upper 10 inches; few fine interstitial and tubular pores; moderately calcareous with fine irregular shaped soft masses of lime in seams; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; about 1/4 mile south of the west side of Red Lake on the east side of a large gully that runs north and south in sec. 9, T.13 S., R.16 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Aridic ustic soil moisture regime
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 cm)
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry or moist
Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Bk horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Reaction: slightly alkaline, moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Conchovar (NM),
Irwin (KS),
Knifehill (NM),
Lubbock (KS),
Millpaw (NM),
Nutreeah (NM) and
Tully (KS) series. Conchovar soils have a watertable within 60 inches. Irwin, Lubbock, and Tully soils are in LRR-H and are moist in
May and June. Knifehill soils have mean annual soil temperatures less than 54 degrees F (11 degrees C). Millpaw soils are moist in the winter and spring. Nutreeah soils have accumulations of soluble salts and SARs of 1 to 5.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ruidoso soils are on alluvial fans and valley slopes at elevations of 5,500 to 7,000 feet (1,692 to 2134 m). Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in materials derived mostly from sedimentary and igneous rocks. The climate is semiarid continental. At the type location, the average annual precipitation is about 12 to 16 inches (307 to 410 mm) with a pronounced summer maximum. The average annual temperature is about 54 to 56 degrees F (12 to 13.6 degrees C). The frost free season is 150 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Gabaldon,
Gaddes,
Muzzler,
Remunda, and
Shanta soils. Galbaldon and Shanta soils lack an argillic horizon. Remunda soils lack a mollic epipedon 20 or more inches thick. Muzzler soils have a lithic contact within a depth of 20 inches and Gaddes soils are fine, loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for livestock grazing. Small areas are cultivated. Native vegetation is blue grama, sideoats grama, ring muhly, cholla, yucca, western wheatgrass, and vine mesquite.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mescalero Apache Area. Otero County, New Mexico, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 28 inches (72 cm) (A1, A2, Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 15 to 48 inches (38 to 123 cm)(Bt horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th Edition, 2014.
Revised for the correlation of the SDJR - MLRA 38 - Rock outcrop-Thimble-Ruidoso family complex, 15 to 65 percent slopes project, August 2014, LJG2
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.