LOCATION SPANTARA NM+TX

Established Series
Rev. RAH-RM
09/2014

SPANTARA SERIES

The Spantara series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils formed in sandy, eolian and alluvial sediments in the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age. These soils occur on level to slightly undulating plains. Slope ranges from 1 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 432mm (17 in) and the mean annual temperature is about 16 degrees C (61 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Spantara fine sand on concave, 1 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 4,326 ft. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few fine and medium pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--8 to 25 cm (3 to 10 in); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few fine and medium pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness is 20 to 46 cm [8 to 18 in].)

Bt1--25 to 43 cm (10 to 17 in); brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sand, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine and medium pores; few faint clay films on surfaces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--43 to 61 cm (17 to 24 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/3) loamy fine sand, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores; many prominent clay films on surfaces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--61 to 86 cm (24 to 34 in); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores; many prominent clay films on surfaces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bt4--86 to 114 cm (34 to 45 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores; many distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness is 76 to 152 cm [30 to 60 in].)

Bt5--114 to 203 cm (45 to 80 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loamy fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium pores; common distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; few fine irregularly shaped masses of calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Curry County, New Mexico; From the intersection of U.S. Highways 60 and 84 and New Mexico State Highway 267; 1.5 miles south on New Mexico State Highway 267; 250 ft east on private ranch road; site is 30 ft north of road in rangeland. NW of the NW of Section 17, T. 2 N., R. 32 E. Section 17, Township 2 N., Range 32 E.; Latitude: 34 degrees, 24 minutes, 10 seconds N.; Longitude: 103 degrees, 36 minutes, 58 seconds W., Melrose East, New Mexico USGS quad; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for 180 to 270 days, cumulative, in normal years. November through April are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in May through October.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 64 degrees F).
Depth to argillic horizon: 25 to 64 cm (10 to 25 in).
Depth to secondary carbonates: 64 to 152 cm (25 to 60 in).
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in).

Particle-size control section: less than 18 percent silicate clay.
Clay content decreases by more than 20 percent from the maximum within 152 cm (60 in) of the surface.

A horizons:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral

Bt horizons:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: fine sand (in the upper part), loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Effervescence: very slight to slight
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Btk horizons (where present):
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the Ady, Amarillo, Amarose, Brownfield, Elida, Patricia, and Triomas series.
Ady, Amarillo, Brownfield and Patricia soils: have more than 18 percent clay in the soil texture control-section.
Amarose, Elida and Triomas soils: are drier in the soil moisture control-section for longer periods.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy eolian and alluvial sediments of the Blackwater Draw
Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: level to slightly undulating plains.
Slopes: 1 to 5 percent.
Mean annual temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C (57 to 63 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 406 to 483 mm (16 to 19 in).
Frost-free period: 180 to 200 days.
Elevation: 792 to 1463 m (2,600 to 4,800 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 23 to 28.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Amarillo, Gomez, and Nutivoli series.
Amarillo soils: are on similar landscape positions.
Gomez soils: are on similar and slightly lower landscape positions and do not have an argillic horizon.
Nutivoli soils: occur on higher landscape positions and do not have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderate permeability. Surface runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes, very low on 1 to 3 percent slopes, and low on 3 to 5 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for cropland but also used as native rangeland. Principal crops grown are cotton and grain sorghum. Climax vegetation is tall and mid grasses, with tall grasses tending to dominate. This site is dominated by little bluestem and sand bluestem along with taller dropseed species. The remainder is mid and short grasses such as sideoats grama, sand dropseed, hooded windmillgrass, sand lovegrass, sand paspalum, fall witchgrass, hairy grama, needle and thread, and perennial threeawn. Sand sage, shinoak, and skunkbush are also present. This soil has been correlated to the Sandy (077CY035TX) range site in Texas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern part of the High Plains of Texas and east-central New Mexico (sub MLRA 77C). The soil is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES PROPOSED: Curry County, New Mexico; 1998.

REMARKS: The Spantara series was formerly included in the Springer series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in). (A horizons)
Argillic horizon: 25 to 203 cm (10 to 80 in). (Bt horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL - S90NM-009-001 (Curry Co.), S96NM-041-001 and S96NM-041-002 (Roosevelt Co.)

Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.