CE 547, Assignment 6
Rick Winslow
Figure 1. Below is a STATSGO coverage with the Upper Pecos Watershed outlined and 50% transparent.
Figure 2. This map shows the Upper Pecos Watershed with soil units.
To be turned in: Describe
the NM963 soil in terms of its properties in the Mapunit and Component Tables.
How many components does it have? What are their names? What percentage of the
map unit does each component comprise? What is the predominant surface slope where
this soil unit is found? What is the dominant soil texture? What percentage of
the soil is in hydrologic soil groups A, B, C, D? Do these soil properties make
sense considering where this soil is located?
NM963 soil has 5
components listed, they are: regnier
(listed 3 times), latom (listed 2 times), rock outcrop, los tanos and gallen.
Regnier composes
27% with a surface slope percentage from 3-15% and a clay loam surface texture
and a hydrologic group of D.
Latom composes 32%
with a surface slope percentage from 1-15% and a fine sandy loam surface
texture with a hydrologic group of D.
Rock outcrop
composes 18% with a surface slope percentage of 0-99% a UWB surface
texture with a hydrologic group of D.
Los tanos composes
12% with a surface slope percentage from
0-5% and a fine sandy loam surface texture with a hydrologic group of C.
Regnier composes 7%
with a surface slope percentage from 15-35% and a clay loam surface texture
with a hydrologic group of D.
Latom composes 5%
with a surface slope percentage from 15-40% and a gravel-fine sandy loam
surface texture with a hydrologic group of D.
Regnier composes 2%
with a surface slope percentage from 30-80% and a gravel-sand/clay/loam surface
texture with a hydrologic group of D.
Gallen composes 2%
with a surface slope percentage from 5-35% and a gravel-sand/loam surface
texture with a hydrologic group of B.
Considering the
location of this soil unit these soil types do make sense. The area is generally mountainous with 1st,
2nd and 3rd order streams, old granite and depauperate
vegetation that is primarily coniferous.
Given this soil units location in the lower part of the watershed it
also makes sense to have fairly high levels of clay/loam and sandy/loam soil
types.
To be turned in: For mapunit NM963, how many layers does each component have? What is the total soil depth (inches) for each layer and the average depth (inches) for the map unit? What is the total water holding capacity (inches of water) over the full soil depth for each component? What is the average water holding capacity (inches of water) for soils in this map unit?
Component 1 has
three layers, 2 has two layers, 3 has one layer, 4 has three layers, 5 has 5
layers, 6 has two layers, 7 has three layers and 8 has four layers.
The total depth for
layer 1 is 22”, the map unit average is 5.94 and the water holding capacity is
3.06”.
The total depth for
layer 2 is 20”, the map unit average is 5.4 and the water holding capacity is
1”.
The total depth for
layer 3 is 60”, the map unit average is 10.8 and the water holding capacity is
0”.
The total depth for
layer 4 is 28”, the map unit average is 3.36 and the water holding capacity is
3.3”.
The total depth for
layer 5 is 22”, the map unit average is 1.54 and the water holding capacity is
3.06”.
The total depth for
layer 6 is 20”, the map unit average is 1.0 and the water holding capacity is
1.0”.
The total depth for
layer 7 is 22”, the map unit average is 0.44 and the water holding capacity is
2.43”.
The total depth for
layer 8 is 60”, the map unit average is 1.2 and the water holding capacity is
3.52”.
The average water
holding capacity for soils across NM963 is the sum of all the component
averages divided by the total number of components, or: 2.17”.
Figure 3. The map below shows the Upper Pecos
Watershed with land use types illustrated.
Figure 4. The Upper Pecos Watershed clipped out with land use illustrated and described.
