LOCATION SAN MATEO NM AZ UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Ustic Torrifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: San Mateo loam -- rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 12 inches thick)
C1--2 to 12 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; 5 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
C2--12 to 29 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) sandy clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
C3--29 to 70 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) sandy clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline. (Combined thickness of the C horizon is greater than 40 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: Cibola County, New Mexico, Moquino Quadrangle; about 1 mile northwest of Moquino, New Mexico, at 35 degrees, 11 minutes and 10 seconds north latitude, and 107 degrees, 18 minutes and 21 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 51 to 57 degrees F.
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline
Carbonates: effervescent throughout
Salinity EC: 1 to 8 dS/m
Control section weighted average: 18 to 35 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam
When the surface mantle has colors and organic carbon content of a mollic epipedon, it lacks the thickness requirements.
C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5, moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Textures: stratified sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam
Sodicity SAR: 5 to 30
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Barnum (WY), Haverdad (WY), Haversid (CO), Manikan (AZ), Panitchen (CO) and Suwanee (NM) series. Manikan and Suwanee soils have hue of 7.5YR and redder. Panitchen soils have gypsum accumulations. The Barnum, Haversid, and Haverdad soils are moist in the soil moisture control section during May and June.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The San Mateo soils formed in alluvium, fan alluvium and stream alluvium from mixed sources on flood plains on valley floors, and alluvial fans on valley sides. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. Elevations range from 5,200 to 7,800 feet. The mean annual air temperature is 49 to 54 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is 9 to 14 inches. Peak precipitation occurs in July, August, September and October. The frost-free period is 120 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Sparank soils. Sparank soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low to medium runoff, and moderately slowly permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This series is used for livestock grazing. The present vegetation is alkali sacaton, western wheatgrass, blue gram, fourwing saltbush, and galleta.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. MLRAs 35 and 36, LRR-D. This series is of large extent. This series does not occur outside of MLRA 35 and 36.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cibola County, New Mexico, 1956
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Fluventic feature - an irregular decrease in organic carbon due to stratification
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
Updated and revised for the correlation of Ft. Defiance Area AZ715 2/08 DWD