LOCATION TENORIO NM+AZ WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Tenorio loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; many medium roots; many very fine pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary (2 to 5 inches thick)
B1--3 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many medium roots; many very fine pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
B2t--9 to 14 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) heavy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine roots; many very fine pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
IIB3--14 to 18 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely gravelly loamy sand, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, sticky and plastic many fine roots; 80 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick;
IIC--18 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grained; few fine roots; 70 percent gravel; mildly alkaline (pH 7.5).
Type Location: Taos County, New Mexico; NE1/4 NE1/4 NE1/4 sec. 10, T.30N., R.12E.
Range in Characteristics: Depth to skeletal substrata ranges from 12 to 20 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 through 4. It is loam, sandy clay loam or sandy loam all of which may be modified by rock fragments.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR through 5YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 through 4. It is heavy loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam and has 10 to 35 percent rock fragments.
The IIC horizon is calcareous in the lower part of the control section with lime coatings on the bottom of the rock fragments. It is sand or loamy sand and has 40 to 80 percent rock fragments.
Competing Series: These are the Larimer, Naturita, Vernal, Wanetta and Yoder series. Naturita soils have a calcic horizon. Larimer, Vernal, Wanetta, and Yoder soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to the skeletal material.
Geographic Setting: Tenorio soils are on valley fill slopes of 0 to 8 percent. Elevation is 6000 to 8000 feet. These soils formed in alluvium of mixed origin. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches with peak periods of precipitation in July and August. The average annual temperature is about 46 to 50 degrees F. Frost-free season is 115 to 130 days.
Geographically Associated Soils: These are the Harvey, Witt, and Manzano soils. None of the associates have the skeletal substrata. Harvey soils have calcic horizons. Manzano soils have thick mollic epipedons. Witt soils have fine-silty control sections.
Drainage and Permeability: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability above the IIC horizon and very rapid in the IIC horizon.
Use and Vegetation: These soils are used for rangeland and irrigated cropland. Native vegetation is big sagebrush, blue grama, sand dropseed and broom snakeweed.
Distribution and Extent: Northern New Mexico. This series is inextensive.
Series Established: Taos Area, New Mexico, 1976.
OSED scanned by NSSQA. Last revised by state on 4/76.