LOCATION SENTRY NM
Tentative Series
Rev: GWC
12/2011
SENTRY SERIES
The Sentry series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in gypsiferous fine-loamy alluvium. These nearly level soils are on stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches (229 mm) and the mean annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F (18 degrees C).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy over coarse-gypseous, hypergypsic, thermic Gypsic Haplosalids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sentry silty clay loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
Ayz--0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3), moist; 30 percent clay; moderate thick platy structure; friable, moderately hard, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and few medium roots throughout; common fine pores; carbonates finely disseminated, 11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, strongly effervescent; gypsum finely disseminated, 4 percent gypsum; salt, finely disseminated, strongly saline, EC of 59.0 mmhos/cm; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Byz1--4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4), moist; 25 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and very fine roots throughout; few pores; carbonates finely disseminated, 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, strongly effervescent; gypsum finely disseminated, 3 percent fine gypsum crystal clusters throughout, 21 percent gypsum; salt, finely disseminated, strongly saline, EC of 56.0 mmhos/cm; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual wavy boundary.
Byz2--12 to 21 inches (30 to 53 cm); pink (7.5YR 7/3) clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4), moist; 34 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately hard, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few very fine pores; carbonates finely disseminated, 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, strongly effervescent; gypsum finely disseminated, 8 percent fine gypsum crystal clusters throughout, 47 percent gypsum; salt, finely disseminated, strongly saline, EC of 101.0 mmhos/cm; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary.
Byz3--21 to 33 inches (53 to 84 cm); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4), moist; 26 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, hard, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine pores; carbonates finely disseminated, 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, strongly effervescent; gypsum finely disseminated, 5 percent fine gypsum crystal clusters throughout, 32 percent gypsum; salt, finely disseminated, strongly saline, EC of 58.0 mmhos/cm; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Byz horizons is 10 to 30 inches thick).
2Byyz--33 to 41 inches (84 to 104 cm); very pale brown (10YR 8/3) gypsiferous loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3), moist; 20 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine pores; carbonates finely disseminated, 4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, slightly effervescent; 80 percent sand sized gypsum grains throughout, 71 percent gypsum; salt, finely disseminated, strongly saline, EC of 52.0 mmhos/cm; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 40 inches thick).
3Byyz--41 to 60 inches (104 to 152 cm); light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4), moist; 24 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, hard, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; carbonates finely disseminated, 11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, strongly effervescent; gypsum finely disseminated, 15 percent fine gypsum crystal clusters throughout, 53 percent gypsum; salt, finely disseminated, EC of 51.0 mmhos/cm; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (0 to 25 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Sierra County, New Mexico; In sec 16, T. 14S, R. 6E; USGS Lumley Lake; Latitude: 33 degrees, 5 minutes, 40.8 seconds N; Longitude: 106 degrees, 24 minutes, 8.92 seconds W, NAD 83; UTM 0369121 meters E, 3662655 meters N, 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 41 degrees F. at 20 inches (5 degrees C at 50 cm).
Mean annual soil temperature: 64 to 68 degrees F (17.8 to 20 degrees C)
Particle Control Section (weighted average)
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Depth to gypsic horizon: 1 to 5 inches
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Gypsum content: 20 to 80 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Electrical conductivity: 30 to 110 mmhos/cm
Ayz horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 30 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline
Electrical conductivity: 20 to 60 mmhos/cm
Byz horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, loam
Clay content: 20 to 40 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Gypsum content: 20 to 50 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Electrical conductivity: 30 to 105 mmhos/cm
2Byyz horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous loam, gypsiferous silt loam
Clay content: 15 to 25
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Gypsum content: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Electrical conductivity: 30 to 60 mmhos/cm
3Byyz horizon (when present)
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Gypsum content: 40 to 60 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Electrical conductivity: 30 to 60 mmhos/cm
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing soil series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sentry soils are stream terraces. Slope is 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed from gypsiferous fine-loamy alluvium. Elevation ranges from 3,950 to 4,000 feet (1204 to 1219 meters). The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches (203 to 254 mm). Precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The mean annual air temperature is 62 to 66 degrees F (17 to 19 degrees C). The frost-free period is 200 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Najul (NM) and
Bigsalt (NM) soil series. Najul soils are fine textured, gypsic mineralogy, non-salids and are on floodplains. The Bigsalt soils are fine textured, gypsic mineralogy and are found on floodplains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are military exercises and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is alkali sacaton, fourwing saltbush, desert seepweed, and honey mesquite.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico, limited to the Tularosa Basin. MLRA 42, Sentry is of very limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES PROPOSED: White Sands Missile Range, Otero County, New Mexico, 2011
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (Byz1, Byz2, Byz3, and 2Byyz horizons)
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 7 inches (Ayz horizon)
Salic horizon - the zone from 4 to 21 inches (Byz1, Byz2 horizons)
Gypsic horizon - the zone from 4 to 60 inches (Byz1, Byz2, Byz3, 2Byyz, 3Byyz horizons)
Soils classified according to Soil Taxonomy, 2nd Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.