LOCATION TAMARINDO               NM

Established Series
Rev. AJM/CDH/WMR/WJG
08/2014

TAMARINDO SERIES

The Tamarindo series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. Tamarindo soils are on footslopes of interfluves of undulating plains. Slopes are 1 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 13 inches and mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Tamarindo loam--on a footslope of an undulating plateau sloping 7 percent to the north at 6,787 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 5, 2002, the soil was moist 0 to 5 inches and otherwise dry throughout.)

A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to moderate coarse granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; many very fine irregularly shaped and few medium tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bt--2 to 13 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and common very fine roots; common coarse, few medium, common fine, and few very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)

Btk1--13 to 22 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; common coarse, few medium, and few fine tubular pores; few distinct and few faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonates segregated as common medium irregularly shaped coatings on faces of peds (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.

Btk2--22 to 35 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; few medium and common fine tubular pores; common distinct and few faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonates segregated as common medium and fine irregularly shaped crystals on surfaces of pores; (3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary.

Btk3--35 to 49 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine and few very fine tubular pores; few distinct, and few faint clay films on faces of peds; 3 percent gravel; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonates segregated as few very coarse irregularly shaped seams and common fine rounded soft masses on surface of peds (3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary.

Btk4--49 to 74 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine and few very fine tubular pores; few fine clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common very fine irregularly shaped coatings on surface of peds (2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (Combined thickness of the Btk horizons is 50 to 72 inches)

Bk--74 to 109 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few fine irregularly shaped coatings on surface of peds; (2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

2C--109 to 123 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (4.5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, about 5.5 miles south of White Lakes; 2,544 feet west and 1,824 feet south of the northeast corner of section 5, T.10N., R.11E.; USGS El Cuervo Butte 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 7 minutes 22.7 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 47 minutes 36.8 seconds West, NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section (SMCS) is intermittently moist in some part from July to October and December to March. Additional run-on occurs from July through September. The soils are driest in May and June. The soil moisture regime is an ustic aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature - 51 to 53 degrees F.
Depth to base of ochric epipedon - 1 to 3 inches
Depth to base of argillic horizon - greater than 70 inches

Particle-size control section weighted averages:
Silicate clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Sand content: 30 to 45 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 25 to 40 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent gravel

Salinity: dS/m - 0 to 2
Sodicity: SAR - 0 to 4

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist

Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 5, dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent

Btk horizons
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 3 percent

Bk horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 3 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Balon, Blancot, Bowbac, Buckle, Cambria, Cerropelon, Chilerojo, Cumacho, Cushman, Decolney, Doakum, Forkwood, Fort, Gaddes, Gapbutte, Gapmesa, Hagerman, Hagerwest, Hiland, Mentmore, Oelop, Olney, Palacid, Penistaja, Pokeman, Potts, Pugsley, Quagwa, Redpen, Spangler, Sundance, Teckla, and Yenlo series.

Balon, Blancot, and Yenlo do not have visible secondary carbonates in the argillic horizon. Bowbac, Cambria, Cushman, Decolney, Forkwood, Fort, Hiland, Olney, Pokeman, Potts, Pugsley, Spangler, and Teckla soils are more moist in May and June.
Buckle, Mentmore, and Quagwa soils have hues of 7.5 YR or yellower.
Cerropelon, Gapbutte, Gapmesa, Gaddes, Hagerman, and Hagerwest soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Chilerojo soils have a densic contact within 80 inches and base of argillic less than 40 inches.
Cumachos soils are deep to moderately cemented shale.
Doakum, Oelop, Palacid, Penistaja, and Redpen soils are less than 50 inches to the base of the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tamarindo soils are on footslopes of interfluves of undulating plateaus. They formed in alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. Slopes are 1 to 8 percent. Elevation ranges from 5,500 to 7,100 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches with about 45 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free period is 130 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arojomil, Clovis, Kinsell, and Raydawn soils. Arojomil soils are moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon and are on summits and shoulders of undulating plateaus. Clovis soils have a calcic horizon and occur on backslopes and footslopes. Kinsell soils are fine-silty, have a mollic epipedon, and are on floodplains and channels of valley floors. Raydawn soils are loamy-skeletal, have a calcic horizon, and occur on shoulders and backslopes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is high; permeability is moderately slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: Tamarindo soils are used for livestock grazing and farming. Present vegetation is broom snakeweed, blue grama, whipple cholla, sand dropseed, and galleta.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Tamarindo soils are of small extent in the northeastern part of the Estancia Basin in the Mexican Highland section of the Basin and Range physiographic province in northcentral New Mexico, MLRA 70C.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Area Soil Survey Update; 2002. Tamarindo is a coined name.

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

Ochric epipedon - 0 to a depth of about 2 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - 2 to about 74 inches. (Bt, Btk1, Btk2, Btk3, Btk4 horizons)

Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.

ADDITIONAL DATA: The series type location has been sampled for partial characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S-NM-02-049-016; Calcium carbonate equivalence was determined using a field calcimeter.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.