LOCATION SLICKCITY NM

Established Series
REV: GWC
01/2015

SLICKCITY SERIES

The Slickcity series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in fine-loamy alluvium over coarse gypseous lacustrine deposits. These nearly level soils are on alluvial flats on basin floors. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy over coarse-gypseous, mixed over hypergypsic, superactive, thermic Typic Haplogypsids

TYPICAL PEDON: Slickcity silty clay loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

Aky--0 to 8 inches (0 to 20 cm); light brown (7.5YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3), moist; 30 percent clay; moderate very thick platy over moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; common fine tubular pores; common fine irregular carbonate masses throughout; strongly effervescent, 6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 3 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.3; electrical conductivity 0.6 dS/m (mmhos/cm); non-saline; clear wavy boundary.

Bky--8 to 18 inches (20 to 45 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4), moist; 25 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots throughout; common fine and coarse tubular pores; common fine irregular gypsum crystals and few fine irregular carbonate masses throughout; strongly effervescent, 16 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 3 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.1; electrical conductivity 1.2 dS/m (mmhos/cm); non-saline; gradual wavy boundary.

2Byy1--18 to 32 inches (45 to 80 cm); light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) gypsiferous sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/3), moist; 13 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very coarse and common very fine roots throughout; few fine tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many fine irregular gypsum crystals, throughout and common fine irregular gypsum crystal clusters throughout; strongly effervescent, 6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 46 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 7.9; electrical conductivity 1.8 dS/m (mmhos/cm); non-saline; diffuse wavy boundary.

2Byy2--32 to 47 inches (80 to 120 cm); light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) gypsiferous sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/3), moist; 13 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; common coarse roots throughout; carbonate, finely disseminated and many fine irregular gypsum crystals and common fine irregular gypsum crystal clusters throughout; strongly effervescent, 6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 41 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.8; electrical conductivity 3.6 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; diffuse wavy boundary.

2Byy3--47 to 60 inches (120 to 152 cm); light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) gypsiferous sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4), moist; 13 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; common coarse roots throughout; common fine irregular gypsum crystal clusters and many fine and medium irregular gypsum crystals throughout; 5 percent gravel; noneffervescent, 27 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.7; electrical conductivity 5.4 dS/m (mmhos/cm); slightly saline.

TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; In sec 22, T. 12S, R. 7E; USGS Capitol Peak SE; Latitude: 33 degrees, 15 minutes, 20.7 seconds N; Longitude: 106 degrees, 17 minutes, 18.10 seconds W, NAD 83; UTM 0379991 E, 3680379 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.

Mean annual soil temperature: 66 to 72 degrees F.

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent, averages 16 percent clay
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent
Depth to gypsic horizon: 3 to 13 inches
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 3.6 mmhos/cm

Ay horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 to 6 dry, 4 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, silty clay loam
Clay: 15 to 35 percent
Salinity: non-saline to very slightly saline
Gypsum: 1 to 5 percent

Bky horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam
Clay: 15 to 35 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Salinity: non-saline to slightly saline
Gypsum: 3 to 10 percent

2Byy horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous loam
Clay: 10 to 18 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Salinity: nonsaline saline to moderately saline
Gypsum: 25 to 55 percent (averages more than 40 percent)

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing soil series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Slickcity soils are on alluvial flats and basin floors. Slope is 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed from fine-loamy alluvium over coarse gypseous lacustrine deposits. Elevation ranges from 3,950 to 4,490 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. Precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The mean annual air temperature is 64 to 70 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aerobee, Shot, Yesum, and Prelo soil series. Aerobee soils are on interdunes and have a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Shot soils are on dunes and have a sandy particle-size control section. Yesum soils are coarse-loamy and have gypsic horizons within 7 inches from the surface (Leptic). Prelo soils occur in drainageways and have a fine-silty particle control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderate to moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are military exercises and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is alkali sacaton, fourwing saltbush, and Torrey's jointfir. The ecological site is Gyp Upland (R042XB006NM).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico, limited to the Tularosa Basin and surrounding piedmonts. MLRA 42, Slickcity is of limited extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Sands Missile Range, Otero County, New Mexico, 2014.

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

Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bky, 2Byy1, and 2Byy2 horizons)

Ochric epipedon- the zone from 0 to 7 inches (Ay horizon)

Gypsic horizon- the zone from 8 to 60 inches (By and 2Byy horizons)

Strongly contrasting particle size classes- 18 inches (Loamy over Coarse-gypseous)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

Revised for the correlation of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; October, 2014, NMS

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.