LOCATION WAUQUIE                 NM+CO

Established Series
Rev. CB/JWH/DKR/JPP/TWH/DKR/WWJ
12/2014

WAUQUIE SERIES

The Wauquie series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium and colluvium derived from granite, sandstone, and shale. Wauquie soils are on mesas, canyons, hills, benches, mountains, and alluvial fans. Slopes range from 6 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 15 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Wauquie extremely cobbly fine sandy loam in woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 4 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) extremely cobbly fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common medium roots; many very fine vesicular pores; 45 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

Bt1--4 to 11 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and common medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 45 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones, neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

Bt2--11 to 18 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 45 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bt3--18 to 29 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; massive, soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; many colloidal stains on sand grains and gravel; 50 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)

2Bk--29 to 65 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) extremely cobbly sand, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium roots; few interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel; 25 percent cobbles; and 5 percent stones; very few carbonate coatings on underside of gravel; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico; about 5 miles east of Laventana; northeast 1/4 of the northwest 1/4 of sec. 13, T. 18 N., R. 1 W (extrapolated section lines);
Lat. 35.790 degrees N, -106.892 degrees W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic bordering on aridic
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 49 to 54 degrees F
Surface rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 5 inches or more
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 12 to 40 inches

Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent clay

A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 (2 to 4 moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent; 20 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

Bt horizon (Btk horizon in some pedons):
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 (3 or 4 moist)
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam, clay loam, or sandy loam
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent; 20 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bk horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 (4 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sandy loam, or loam
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent, 20 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Espiritu, Snavee, and Tsezhin series. Espiritu soils are not moist in all parts of the soil moisture control section for 30 consecutive days during the 120 days following the winter solstice. Snavee and Tsezhin soils have calcic horizons and should be reclassified in a Calcidic subgroup.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium, slope alluvium, and colluvium derived from granite, sandstone, and shale
Landform: mesas, mountains, hills, benches, canyons, and alluvial fans
Slopes: 6 to 60 percent
Elevation: 6,000 to 8,400 feet
Mean annual temperature: 46 to 53 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 12 to 16 inches
Frost-free period: 90 to 140 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Santa Fe soils. Santa Fe soils have lithic contact at a depth of less than 20 inches.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, medium to very high runoff, moderate permeability

USE AND VEGETATION: Wauquie soils are used for livestock grazing and wood production. Present vegetation is pinyon, oneseed juniper, Gambel oak, blue grama and sideoats grama.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central New Mexico and Southwest Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 36, 39. This series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sandoval County, New Mexico. 1987. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 4 inches. (A)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 4 to 29 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3)
Particle size control section: The zone from 4 to 24 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3)

Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.