LOCATION VERMEJO                 NM

Established Series
Rev. AJM
12/2022

VERMEJO SERIES

The Vermejo series consists of deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium from shale on broad drainageways and alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches (41 cm). The mean annual air temperature is about 50 degrees F (10 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, kaolinitic, nonacid, mesic Ustic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Vermejo clay, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), moist; 36 percent clay; weak medium platy parts to strong very fine granular structure; soft, firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; common very fine roots and common fine roots; common very fine low continuity interstitial pores; noneffervescent, 0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.4; electrical conductivity 0.9 dS/m (mmhos/cm); non-saline; sodium adsorption ratio 0.1; slightly sodic; abrupt smooth boundary.
AC--2 to 9 inches (5 to 23 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), moist; 40 percent clay; weak coarse platy structure; very hard, extremely firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; common very fine roots and common fine roots; common very fine low continuity interstitial pores; few discontinuous pressure faces on top faces of peds; noneffervescent, 0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 0 percent gypsum; strongly alkaline, pH 8.6; electrical conductivity 0.9 dS/m (mmhos/cm); non-saline; sodium adsorption ratio 2.0; moderately sodic; clear smooth boundary.
C1--9 to 18 inches (23 to 46 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), moist; 40 percent clay; massive; very hard, extremely firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; common very fine roots and common fine roots; common very fine low continuity interstitial pores; few discontinuous pressure faces on top faces of peds; noneffervescent, 1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 0 percent gypsum; strongly alkaline, pH 8.6; electrical conductivity 0.6 dS/m (mmhos/cm); non-saline; sodium adsorption ratio 4.0; strongly sodic; abrupt wavy boundary.
C2--18 to 39.5 inches (46 to 100 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), moist; 38 percent clay; massive parts to weak very coarse prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; few very fine roots and few fine roots; common very fine low continuity interstitial pores; very few discontinuous pressure faces on top faces of peds; many fine salt masses with clear boundaries on faces of peds; slightly effervescent, 3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 0 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.4; electrical conductivity 0.7 dS/m (mmhos/cm); non-saline; sodium adsorption ratio 7.0; strongly sodic; clear wavy boundary.
C3--39.5 to 58 inches (100 to 147 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), moist; 38 percent clay; massive; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; few very fine roots and few fine roots; common very fine low continuity interstitial pores; many fine salt masses with clear boundaries on faces of peds; strongly effervescent, 3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 0 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.4; electrical conductivity 3.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; sodium adsorption ratio 7.0; strongly sodic.
C4--58 to 78.5 inches (147 to 200 cm).

TYPE LOCATION: Colfax County, New Mexico; 5 miles west and 3/4 mile north of French Corners; center of NE 1/4 section 27, T.26 N., R.21E. Latitude: 36 degrees, 27 minutes, 43.00 seconds N; Longitude: 104 degrees, 41 minutes, 23.00 seconds W. NAD83; Approximate UTM: NAD 83, 13N 527620 W; 4035037N.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: In normal years this soil is driest during May and June and moist in the upper part for up to 90 cumulative days during the growing season. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on ustic (Ustic Aridic).

Soil temperature: 48 to 56 degrees F (9 to 13 degrees C), mesic temperature regime.
Depth to visible salt crystals is 0 to 23 inches (0 to 58 cm).
Thickness of ochric epipedon: 4 to 20 inches (10 to 50 cm)
The COLE values range from .03 to .05.

Control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Sand content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent of the less than 20 millimeter fraction: 0 to 5 percent

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist.
Texture (fine-earth fraction): silt loam, silty clay, and silty clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 50 percent
Effervescence: none to violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or strongly alkaline

AC horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry or moist.
Texture (fine-earth fraction): silty clay, clay and silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Effervescence: none to violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

C horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry or moist.
Texture (fine-earth fraction): silty clay, clay loam, clay and silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Effervescence: none to violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: The Lybrook series is the only existing competing series. The Lybrook soil is located in MLRA 35 which is in the Colorado Plateau geographic province and does not have visibly precipitated salts in the profile.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vermejo soils exist on mostly bottomland landforms such as valley floors, depressions, and drainageways but also exist on alluvial fans. These landforms may be dissected by shallow drainages. Slopes are generally under 5 percent. Elevation is 5,000 to 7,500 feet (1600 to 2286 meters). These soils formed on fine textured alluvium derived mostly from sandstone and shale. At the type location the climate is semiarid continental with an average annual precipitation of 13 to 19 inches (330 to 483 mm), of which more than 3/4 occurs during the months of April through September. The average annual temperature is 45 to 57 degrees F (7 to 14 degrees C). The frost free season is 130 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Colmor, Litle, Mion and Philmont soils. These soils all exist on upland landforms. Colmor soils have a fine-silty control section. Litle and Mion soils have a paralithic contact at depths of less than 40 inches (102 cm). Philmont soils have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; medium runoff; slow to very slow permeability, hydrologic group D.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily as native rangeland. Native vegetation is alkali sacation, buffalograss, western wheat, galleta, prickly pear cactus, blue grama, fourwing saltbush, snakeweed, sideoats grama, and marigold. The saline phase generally has a good cover of grass which is dominated by alkali sacaton and inland saltgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern New Mexico and adjoining areas of Colorado. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 70A,

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Union County, New Mexico, 1972.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm)
Identifiable Secondary Carbonates - the zone from 0 to 79 inches (0 to 201 cm)

ADDITIONAL DATA: User Pedon ID: 93NM007006


Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010

Revised for the correlation of SDJR - MLRA 70A Vermejo silty clay loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes, 2/13, LJGII. Lab analysis revealed a mixed mineralogy and an active Cation-Exchange Activity class. The classification is changed to Fine, kaolinitic, calcareous, mesic Ustic Torriorthents.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.