LOCATION VESSILLA NM+AZ+CO+UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, calcareous, mesic Aridic Lithic Ustorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Vessilla gravelly fine sandy loam--woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; 25 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
C--2 to 11 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots 20 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 15 inches thick)
R--11 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico. Approximately 15 miles northwest of San Ysidro, New Mexico and 3 miles southeast of the Holy Ghost Campgrounds. State plane coordinates 306,800 feet east and 1,705,620 feet north. 106 degrees, 54 minutes, 00 seconds west longitude; 35 degrees, 41 minutes, 13 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Moist in some part periodically from July through October and dry in all parts periodically during May and June and dry in all parts more than 50 percent of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is moist in some or all parts from November through March. Aridic Ustic moisture regime
Soil temperature - 47 to 55 degrees F.
Depth to sandstone - 4 to 20 inches
Particle size control section -
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline; calcareous in all parts
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent cobbles or flagstones, 0 to 30 percent gravels, 0 to 20 percent stones and 0 to 15 percent channers
A and C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, gravelly loamy sand, gravelly sandy loam and channery loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent cobbles or flagstones, 0 to 30 percent gravels, 0 to 20 percent stones and 0 to 15 percent channers
Other features: In some pedons BC horizons are present instead of C horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Nizhoni series. Nizhoni soils are 5YR and redder.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Vessilla soils occupy narrow ridges, hills, breaks, mesas, cuestas, benches and plateaus of sandstone bedrock controlled landscapes. Slopes are 1 to 65 percent. Average annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 16 inches. Average annual temperature is about 45 to 53 degrees F., and average frost-free period is about 100 to 150 days. Elevation ranges from 5,250 to 8,000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hickman, Menefee and Sparham soils. The Hickman and Sparham soils are deep. The Menefee soils are on fractured shale at 8 to 20 inch depths.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for wood products, livestock grazing recreation and wildlife. Present vegetation is pinyon pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, oneseed juniper, Utah juniper, Indian ricegrass, Nevada bluegrass, mountain mahogany, antelope bitterbrush, blue grama, oak, yucca, Mexican cliffrose, Mormon tea, Wyoming big sagebrush, and Bigelow sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This soil occurs in northwestern New Mexico and is of moderate extent. MLRA 36 and 35.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cibola County, New Mexico, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to a depth of about 2 inches (A horizon)
Entisol feature - Lack of diagnostic horizons. (A and C horizons)
Lithic subgroup - Lithic contact at about 11 inches. (R horizon)
Reaction class - Calcareous throughout. (A and C horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.
Hues of 5YR were allowed in the Sandoval Area Soil Survey, New Mexico. The series was redefined as 7.5YR and 10YR only in 1990. The series was reclassified from Typic Ustic to Aridic Ustic in August of 2001 to reflect current and past use of the series.