LOCATION SAN JOSE           NM
Established Series
Rev. WJR/VGL/LWH
03/2003

SAN JOSE SERIES


The San Jose series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils that formed in alluvium derived from red sandstone and shale on alluvial fans. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 15 inches. The mean annual air temperature is about 58 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Ustic Torrifluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: San Jose loam - rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)

A1--0 to 3 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and non plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; calcareous with disseminated calcium carbonate; mildly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

A2--3 to 11 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; calcareous with disseminated calcium carbonate; mildly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

C1--11 to 29 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; calcareous with disseminated calcium carbonate; mildly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick)

C2--29 to 62 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common fine pores; calcareous with disseminated calcium carbonate; mildly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Quay County, New Mexico; 1,000 feet south, 900 feet east of N 1/4 corner sec. 13, T. 10 ., R. 31 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - The SMCS is intermittently moist in some part May through October. 50 percent of the precipitation occurs during July through September with 80 percent during May through October. The soil is driest during March and April. Ustic aridic moisture regime.

Rock fragments: less than 15 percent.

Stratification: Thin stratification is common and organic matter decreases irregularly with depth.

Soil temperature: 59 to 62 degrees F.

Carbonates: less than 15 percent calcium equivalent but calcareous throughout

A horizon - Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 5
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam or loamy fine sand

B horizon - Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6.
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam or silt loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Comoro (AZ) and Ubik (T AZ) series. These soils have hue of 7.5YR and 10YR, have a soil moisture regime which is driest during May and June, and peaking in summer and near peaking again in winter.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: San Jose soils are on alluvial fans and floodplains. They formed in alluvium from redbed sandstone and shale. Elevations range from 3800 to 5300 feet. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 16 inches. The mean annual; temperature is about 56 to 60 degrees F. and frost-free period ranges from 180 to 200 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the La Lande, Montoya and Quay soils. The La Lande soils a fine-loamy. Montoya soils are fine textured. Quay soils are fine-silty and have a calcic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained: medium runoff; moderately rapidly permeable.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and irrigated cropland. Native vegetation is mainly sand dropseed, sideoats grama, threeawn, giant sacaton, alkali sacaton, blue grama, cholla, cactus, sand sagebrush, and mesquite.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central New Mexico. This series is of small extent. MLRA 70.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Valencia County, New Mexico. 1956.

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

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)

Entisol feature - the absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.