LOCATION SALADO NM+TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Salado loam--rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
A1--0 to 1 inch; light brown (7.5YR 6/3), crushed, loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3), crushed, moist; moderate fine granular structure; many fine roots throughout; few fine low continuity vesicular pores; 5 percent subrounded limestone gravel; strongly effervescent on faces of peds and in pores (HCl, 3 normal); slightly alkaline; 6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary (0 to 2 inches thick).
A2--1 to 5 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3), crushed, loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3), crushed, moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; many fine roots throughout; few fine low continuity vesicular pores; 5 percent subrounded limestone gravel; strongly effervescent on faces of peds and in pores (HCl, 3 normal); slightly alkaline; 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary (4 to 8 inches thick).
Bw--5 to 13 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3), crushed, silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3), crushed, moist; weak fine and medium angular blocky structure; many fine roots throughout; few fine low continuity vesicular pores; 5 percent subrounded limestone gravel; strongly effervescent on faces of peds and in pores (HCl, 3 normal); slightly alkaline; 11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary (6 to 28 inches thick).
Bk1--13 to 27 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4), crushed, silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3), crushed, moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; common fine roots between peds; few fine low continuity vesicular pores; 50 percent distinct carbonates coats on faces of peds;; 5 percent subrounded limestone gravel; strongly effervescent on faces of peds and in pores (HCl, 3 normal); moderately alkaline; 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary (0 to 16 inches thick).
Bk2--27 to 41 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3), crushed, loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4), crushed, moist; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; few very fine and fine roots between peds; few fine low continuity vesicular pores; 85 percent prominent carbonates coat on all faces of peds;; 5 percent subrounded limestone gravel; violently effervescent on faces of peds and in pores (HCl, 3 normal); moderately alkaline; 42 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary (10 to 30 inches thick).
Bk3--41 to 70 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3), crushed, clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4), crushed, moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; few very fine roots between peds; 85 percent prominent carbonates coat on all faces of peds; few fine low continuity vesicular pores;; 5 percent subrounded limestone gravel; violently effervescent on faces of peds and in pores (HCl, 3 normal); moderately alkaline; 30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary.
Bk4--70 to 80 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3), sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4), crushed, moist;; 5 percent subrounded limestone gravel; violently effervescent on faces of peds and in pores (HCl, 3 normal); moderately alkaline; 21 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; approximately 27 miles east and 1.9 miles north of Oro Grande; 2,250 feet north and 2,400 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 8, T. 22 S. R. 13 E. USGS El Paso Draw, NM topographic quadrangle; latitude 32 degrees 24 minutes 18 seconds north and longitude 105 degrees 38 minutes 12 seconds west. UTM zone 13, 0440110E, 3585300N; NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The moisture control section is usually dry in all parts less than three-fourths of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 59 to 62 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 20 to 40 inches
Coarse fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel size limestone fragments throughout
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Bk horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam or below 60 inches it may be sandy clay loam
COMPETING SERIES: These are Chispa (TX), Elfrida (AZ), Kahn (AZ), Laborcita (NM), Pandale (TX), Ratliff (TX), San Jon (NM), and Tuzigoot (AZ) series. Pandale, Ratliff, and San Jon soils are moist in the soil moisture control section during May and June and occur in the Great Plians. Chispa, Elfrida, and Tuzigoot soils have more than 1 percent organic matter in the surface horizons. Kahn soils have a mean annual soil temperature ranging from 62 to 69 degrees F. Laborcita soils have more than 15 percent gravel in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium
Landform: fan piedmont
Slope: 1 to 3 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 58 to 61 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 12 to 14 inches
Precipitation pattern: precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The driest months are March and April. Precipitation during the months of January, February, and March is less than 13 percent of the total.
Frost-free period: 140 to 180 days
Elevation: 4,700 to 6,000 feet
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Armesa, Jerag, and Reyab soils. Armesa soils have calcic horizons within 20 inches of the surface. Jerag soils have petrocalcic horizons within 20 inches of the surface. Reyab soils do not have calcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately slow. Runoff is medium.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing. Vegetation is mixed prairie consisting of blue grama, black grama, and tobosa.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Trans-Pecos of Texas and southern New Mexico in MLRA 42. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Otero County, New Mexico; 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Bw, Bk1, and Bk2 horizons)
Ochric epipedon the zone from 0 to 5 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon the zone from 5 to 13 inches (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon the zone from 27 to 80 inches (Bk2, Bk3, and Bk4 horizons)
Ustic feature -The soil has an aridic moisture regime that borders on the ustic regime.
Updated competing series section 3/17/08, CEM