LOCATION CUATE NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Aridic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cuate very channery loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 1 inch; dark brown (10YR 4/3) very channery loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; loose, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; slightly effervescent; 5 percent flagstones and 35 percent channers; mildly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--1 to 9 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) very channery loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; strongly effervescent; 10 percent flagstones and 25 percent channers; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
Bk1--9 to 23 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and very fine roots; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; 5 percent flagstones and 30 percent channers; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Bk2--23 to 26 inches; white (10YR 8/2) channery sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; violently effervescent with disseminated lime and coating undersides of rock fragments; 5 percent flagstones and 25 percent channers, moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Bk3--26 to 32 inches; white (10YR 8/2) very channery sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; violently effervescent; lime disseminated and
occurring as pendants on rock fragments; 10 percent flagstones and 30 percent channers; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
R--32 inches; hard limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Socorro County, New Mexico; about 10 miles northeast of Bingham; 1450 feet north and 2025 feet east of the southwest corner of section 26, T. 3 S., R. 7 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 7 to 13 inches
Depth to limestone: 20 to 40 inches
Carbonates in mineralogy control section: average 40 to 50 percent by weight
Rock fragments by volume: 25 to 60 percent, mainly channers and flagstones, average greater than 35 percent for the control section.
A horizon: Value - 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 18 to 24 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent flagstones, 30 to 45 percent channers
Bk horizon: Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: very channery, very flaggy or very gravelly loams and sandy loams with 18 to 27 percent clay
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Lapdun series. Close competitors in other families are the Modyon, Puice and Socorro series. The Lapdun soils are deep. The Modyon soils have mixed mineralogy. Puice and Socorro soils lack a mollic epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cuate soils are on hillslopes and ridges. Slopes range from 2 to 60 percent. Elevations range from 6,100 to 6,800 feet. The average annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches, and the average annual temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. The average frost-free period is 150 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Deama, Harvey and Tanbark soils. Deama soils have a lithic contact at depths of less than 20 inches. Harvey soils lack a mollic epipedon are are more than 40 inches deep. The Tanbark soils have a paralithic contact at depths of less than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, rapid runoff, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cuate soils are used for livestock grazing. Native vegetation includes black grama, blue grama, datil yucca, curlyleaf muhly, pinyon and juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Cuate soils are of moderate extent in east central New Mexico.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Socorro County, New Mexico, 1984.
REMARKS: DIAGNOSTIC HORIZONS AND FEATURES RECOGNIZED IN THIS PEDON ARE:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 9 inches. (A1, A2 horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 23 to 32 inches. (Bk2, Bk3 horizons)
Lithic contact - the occurrence of limestone at 32 inches.
National Cooperative Soil Survey