LOCATION SILKIE NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Vertic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Silkie clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--4 to 16 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; cracks 0.5 to 1 inch wide; common thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; many stress cutans, neutral; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Bk1--16 to 35 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular pores; few small slickensides; few cracks 0.5 to 1 inch wide, strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate is disseminated; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (15 to 19 inches thick)
Bk2--35 to 60 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; violently effervescent; calcium carbonate occurs as common medium irregular soft masses; slightly alkaline. (18 to 25 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Cibola County, New Mexico; about 0.25 mile east of Crockett Peak, 2,500 feet west, 780 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 28, T. 8 N., R. 17 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section is moist in all parts 30 to 40 consecutive days during the 120 days following the winter solstice and is moist in all parts about 35 percent of the time when the soil temperature at depths of 20 inches is 41 degrees F. or higher. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil temperature - 49 to 53 degrees F.
Depth to the base of the Bt - 15 to 27 inches.
Vertical cracks - Cracks 0.5 to 1 inch wide extend from the surface to a depth of 20 to 35 inches.
A horizon
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: clay loam or clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Bk horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: clay loam or clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Silkie soils are on valley sideslopes. Slopes range from 3 to 10 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. Elevation is 6,600 to 7,500 feet. Average annual temperature ranges from 47 to 51 degrees F., average annual precipitation is 13 to 16 inches. Frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Catman, Pinitos and Ribera soils. Pinitos and Ribera soils have less than 35 percent clay within the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff, very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION:
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central New Mexico. This series is of small extent. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cibola County, New Mexico, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to a depth of about 4 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 4 to 16 inches. (Bt horizon)
Vertic feature - Vertical cracks in the zone from the surface to about 35 inches. (A, Bt, Bk horizons)