LOCATION SPARANK NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Ustic Torrifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Sparank clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C1--2 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
C2--10 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay with thin strata of silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common medium roots; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
C3--24 to 40 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam with thin strata of silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
C4--40 to 44 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
C5--44 to 80 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico; About 3 miles northeast of San Luis; State Plane Coordinates N. 1,722,750 feet and E. 278,000 feet; 106 degrees, 59 minutes, 44 seconds west longitude; 35 degrees, 44 minutes, 02 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Moisture: Usually dry, intermittently moist in some part of the SMCS November through April and July through September. The soil is typically dry during May and June. Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 49 to 56 degrees F.
Thin stratification is common and organic matter content decreases irregularly with depth.
Rock fragments: less than 5 percent
Sodicity: SAR is typically less than 13 but in some pedons greater than 13.
Salinity: EC of 4 to 8 mmhos/cm., saline phases with more than 8 mmhos/cm. are recognized.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent but calcareous throughout
A horizon
Hue: 10YR to 5Y.
Value: 4 to 6 moist, 3 to 6 dry.
Chroma: 1 to 4.
Texture: sandy clay loam, silt loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay.
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
C horizon
Hue: 10YR to 5Y.
Value: 3 to 7 dry or moist.
Chroma: 1 to 4.
Some pedons have few to many fine prominent relic mottles of 5Y or 2.5Y 4/6 to 4/8 below 20 inches.
Texture: clay, silty clay, silty clay loam or clay loam. The C horizon usually contains thin strata of silt
loam or loamy sand.
Reaction: moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wenota (NM) series. Wenota soils are 7.5YR or redder.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sparank soils are developed in alluvium, fan alluvium, and stream alluvium derived from sandstone and shale on alluvial fans on valley sides and stream terraces, swales, and flood plains on valley floors. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. Average annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 13 inches. Average annual temperature ranges from 48 to 56 degrees F., and average frost-free season ranges from 120 to 160 days. Elevation ranges from 5,000 to 6,900 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Querencia and San Mateo soils. Querencia and San Mateo soils are fine-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to high runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for grazing. Present vegetation is alkali sacaton, fourwing saltbush, galleta, and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and northwestern New Mexico. MLRA 35, LRR-D. This soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Socorro County, New Mexico, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Fluventic features - the zone from 20 to 40 inches does not have diagnostic horizon or fragments of diagnostic horizons. The soil is subject to flooding and has stratification and an irregular decrease in organic matter (C1, C2, C3 horizons).
Ustic feature - Aridic soil moisture regime bordering on Ustic.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.