Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Major Land Resource Area 060A
Major Land Resource Area
Accessed: 05/03/2026
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
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precipitation
frost free days
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Precipitation
Frost free days
Elevation
Slope
Landform
Parent material kind
Soil texture
RUN-OFF LANDSCAPE POSITIONS
(Upland, normally convex short slopes > 6 percent, Shoulder)
NORMAL LANDSCAPE POSITIONS in Both Precipitation Zones
(Upland, slopes normally linear, 1-6 percent except sandy/sands sites can have complex slopes, Back slope, Summit, Foot slope)
RUN-IN LANDSCAPE POSITIONS
(Bottomlands, Drainageways, etc., not depressions,Toe slope)
OTHER LANDSCAPE POSITIONS
(Basin, Depression, Normal, Run-off and/or Run-in, All Hillslope Positions except Shoulder)
Is the site on a steep slope, escarpment, river break or slump area (15-60% slope), with exposed bedrock at or near the surface, and soils generally calcareous and of various depths?
Deciduous trees and shrub are almost always present on this site.
Yes. Thin Breaks
(A landscape feature not necessarily correlated to individual soil components)
No. Dig hole to a depth of 20 inches minimum.Is there root restrictive layer within 10 inches of the soil surface?
Yes.
R060AY016SD – Very Shallow
R060AY016SD – Very Shallow
No. Is there a root restricting layer within 10-20 inches of the surface?
Yes. Is the soil derived from shale with numerous (up to 50%) weathered shale chips throughout the soil profile and the soil is acid (non-calcareous)?
No. Is the soil > 20 inches in depth with a thin surface layer (< 3” ) and effervesce at or near the surface (within 6” )?
Yes.
R060AY043SD – Shallow Porous Clay
R060AY043SD – Shallow Porous Clay
No. Is the soil derived from shale with weathered shale chips below 4” in the soil profile and the soil iscalcareous? Clayey surface texture (2-3” ribbon)?
Yes.
R060AY017SD – Shallow Clay
R060AY017SD – Shallow Clay
No. Is the soil derived from shale? Very clayey surface texture (soil > 55% clay)(>3.0” ribbon)
Yes.
R060AY025SD – Shallow Dense Clay
R060AY025SD – Shallow Dense Clay
No. Is the soil surface 10 to 20 inches with a Clay loam, Silty clay loam, Sandy clay loam or Silty texture (1-1.5” ribbon)?
Yes.
R060AY024SD – Shallow Loamy
R060AY024SD – Shallow Loamy
No. A Sandy loam or Loamy sand texture
(0.25-0.5” ribbon)?
Yes.
R060AY044SD – Shallow Sandy
R060AY044SD – Shallow Sandy
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
Yes.
R060AY012SD – Thin Upland
R060AY012SD – Thin Upland
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
Dig hole to 20 inches. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface?
Yes. Is there a claypan within 16 inches of the surface?
No. Is the soil clayey and formed in acid or non-calcareous shale?
Yes. See “Other Landscape Positions”
No.
R060AY026SD – Saline Upland
R060AY026SD – Saline Upland
Yes. Does the soil contain many fragments of shale (>50%) and the plant the community resemble a sandy site?
No. What is the surface and subsoil texture?
Yes.
R060AY030SD – Porous Clay
R060AY030SD – Porous Clay
No. Refer to II.A.2.ii.a.1)
Clay, Silty Clay (40 to 55% clay)orLoamy Surface (1.75 –3.0” ribbon) with Clayey Subsoil?
Yes. Determine Precipitation Zone.
No. Clay or Silty Clay (> 55% clay). ( > 3.0” ribbon)?
Bare ground will be common.
13-16".
R060AY011SD – Clayey 13-16" P.Z.
R060AY011SD – Clayey 13-16" P.Z.
16-18".
R060AY040SD – Clayey 16-18" P.Z.
R060AY040SD – Clayey 16-18" P.Z.
Yes.
R060AY018SD – Dense Clay
R060AY018SD – Dense Clay
No. Loam, Silt loam, Silty, Clay loam, Clay Loam, Sandy clay loam, Very fine sandy loam
(0.5–1.75” ribbon)?
Yes. Is the site an old stream terrace?
No. Sandy loam, Fine sandy loam, Loamy very fine sand (0.25-0.5” ribbon)?
Yes.
R060AY022SD – Loamy Terrace
R060AY022SD – Loamy Terrace
No. Determine Precipitation Zone.
13-16".
R060AY010SD – Loamy 13-16" P.Z.
R060AY010SD – Loamy 13-16" P.Z.
16-18".
R060AY041SD – Loamy 16-18" P.Z.
R060AY041SD – Loamy 16-18" P.Z.
Yes. Is the site a low stream terrace?
No. Sand, Loamy sand,
Loamy fine sand
(no ribbon)?
Yes.
R060AY042SD – Lowland
R060AY042SD – Lowland
No.
R060AY009SD – Sandy
R060AY009SD – Sandy
Yes.
R060AY008SD – Sands
R060AY008SD – Sands
Observe the soil to a depth of 60 inches.
Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 1-2 feet of the surface and the site is dominated by hydrophytes?*
* Permanent water table is a water table that persists longer than the wettest part of the growing season typically until the month of August.
Yes.
R060AY002SD – Wet Land
R060AY002SD – Wet Land
No. Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 2 to 5 feet of the surface?*
* Permanent water table is a water table that persists longer than the wettest part of the growing season typically until the month of August.
Yes. Does the soil have visible salt crystals within 6 inches?
Does water flow into and over/through the site?
Yes.
R060AY036SD – Saline Subirrigated
R060AY036SD – Saline Subirrigated
No.
R060AY003SD – Subirrigated
R060AY003SD – Subirrigated
Yes. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface and permanently moistsoil at 4 to 5 feet?
No. See “Other Landscape Positions”.
Yes.
R060AY007SD – Saline Lowland
R060AY007SD – Saline Lowland
No. Does the site occasionally flood and have a clayey or silty clay surface texture?
Yes.
R060AY021SD – Clayey Overflow
R060AY021SD – Clayey Overflow
No.
R060AY020SD – Loamy Overflow
R060AY020SD – Loamy Overflow
Dig a hole to 20 inches. Does the soil have a claypan within 16 inches?
Yes. Is it in a closed depression?
No. Is the area in a basin or closed depression with no outlet?
Yes.
R060AY019SD – Closed Depression
R060AY019SD – Closed Depression
No. Is the claypan within 4 inches of the surface?
Yes.
R060AY015SD – Thin Claypan
R060AY015SD – Thin Claypan
No.
R060AY013SD – Claypan
R060AY013SD – Claypan
Yes. Does the site pond water briefly after snowmelt or heavy rain or during abnormally wet years?
No. Re-think your position and start again!
Yes.
R060AY019SD – Closed Depression
R060AY019SD – Closed Depression
Long term average mean annual precipitation
- No filter
- 35 – 40cm (14 – 16in)
- 40 – 50cm (16 – 20in)
—
cm
Long term average frost free days
- No filter
- 90 – 110days
- 110 – 130days
—
days
- No filter
- 600 – 800m (2000 – 2600ft)
- 800 – 1000m (2600 – 3300ft)
- 1000 – 1200m (3300 – 3900ft)
- 1200 – 1400m (3900 – 4600ft)
—
m
- No filter
- 0 – 3%
- 3 – 5%
- 5 – 10%
- 10 – 15%
- 15 – 20%
- 20 – 25%
- 25 – 30%
- 30 – 35%
- 35 – 40%
- 40 – 45%
- 45 – 50%
- 50 – 60%
—
%
- No filter
- Alluvial fan
- Alluvial flat
- Basin floor
- Depression
- Dune
- Escarpment
- Fan
- Flat
- Flood plain
- Hill
- Interdune
- Knoll
- Oxbow
- Pediment
- Plain
- Ridge
- Slough
- Stream terrace
- Terrace
- Valley
- No filter
- Alluvium
Soil surface texture
- No filter
- Clay
- Clay loam
- Fine sand
- Fine sandy loam
- Loam
- Loamy fine sand
- Sandy clay
- Sandy clay loam
- Silty clay
- Silty clay loam
- Silt loam
- Sandy loam
- Very fine sandy loam
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Ecological site keys
MLRA 60A
I.
RUN-OFF LANDSCAPE POSITIONS
(Upland, normally convex short slopes > 6 percent, Shoulder)
A.
Is the site on a steep slope, escarpment, river break or slump area (15-60% slope), with exposed bedrock at or near the surface, and soils generally calcareous and of various depths?
Deciduous trees and shrub are almost always present on this site.
1
Yes. Thin Breaks
(A landscape feature not necessarily correlated to individual soil components)
2
No. Dig hole to a depth of 20 inches minimum.Is there root restrictive layer within 10 inches of the soil surface?
ii.
No. Is there a root restricting layer within 10-20 inches of the surface?
a.
Yes. Is the soil derived from shale with numerous (up to 50%) weathered shale chips throughout the soil profile and the soil is acid (non-calcareous)?
2)
No. Is the soil derived from shale with weathered shale chips below 4” in the soil profile and the soil iscalcareous? Clayey surface texture (2-3” ribbon)?
b)
No. Is the soil derived from shale? Very clayey surface texture (soil > 55% clay)(>3.0” ribbon)
(2)
No. Is the soil surface 10 to 20 inches with a Clay loam, Silty clay loam, Sandy clay loam or Silty texture (1-1.5” ribbon)?
(b)
No. A Sandy loam or Loamy sand texture
(0.25-0.5” ribbon)?
(2)
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
b.
No. Is the soil > 20 inches in depth with a thin surface layer (< 3” ) and effervesce at or near the surface (within 6” )?
2)
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
II.
NORMAL LANDSCAPE POSITIONS in Both Precipitation Zones
(Upland, slopes normally linear, 1-6 percent except sandy/sands sites can have complex slopes, Back slope, Summit, Foot slope)
A.
Dig hole to 20 inches. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface?
1
Yes. Is there a claypan within 16 inches of the surface?
i.
Yes. See “Other Landscape Positions”
2
No. Is the soil clayey and formed in acid or non-calcareous shale?
i.
Yes. Does the soil contain many fragments of shale (>50%) and the plant the community resemble a sandy site?
b.
No. Refer to II.A.2.ii.a.1)
ii.
No. What is the surface and subsoil texture?
a.
Clay, Silty Clay (40 to 55% clay)orLoamy Surface (1.75 –3.0” ribbon) with Clayey Subsoil?
1)
Yes. Determine Precipitation Zone.
2)
No. Clay or Silty Clay (> 55% clay). ( > 3.0” ribbon)?
Bare ground will be common.
b)
No. Loam, Silt loam, Silty, Clay loam, Clay Loam, Sandy clay loam, Very fine sandy loam
(0.5–1.75” ribbon)?
(1)
Yes. Is the site an old stream terrace?
(b)
No. Determine Precipitation Zone.
(2)
No. Sandy loam, Fine sandy loam, Loamy very fine sand (0.25-0.5” ribbon)?
(a)
Yes. Is the site a low stream terrace?
(b)
No. Sand, Loamy sand,
Loamy fine sand
(no ribbon)?
III.
RUN-IN LANDSCAPE POSITIONS
(Bottomlands, Drainageways, etc., not depressions,Toe slope)
A.
Observe the soil to a depth of 60 inches.
Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 1-2 feet of the surface and the site is dominated by hydrophytes?*
* Permanent water table is a water table that persists longer than the wettest part of the growing season typically until the month of August.
2
No. Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 2 to 5 feet of the surface?*
* Permanent water table is a water table that persists longer than the wettest part of the growing season typically until the month of August.
i.
Yes. Does the soil have visible salt crystals within 6 inches?
ii.
Does water flow into and over/through the site?
a.
Yes. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface and permanently moistsoil at 4 to 5 feet?
2)
No. Does the site occasionally flood and have a clayey or silty clay surface texture?
b.
No. See “Other Landscape Positions”.
IV.
OTHER LANDSCAPE POSITIONS
(Basin, Depression, Normal, Run-off and/or Run-in, All Hillslope Positions except Shoulder)
A.
Dig a hole to 20 inches. Does the soil have a claypan within 16 inches?
1
Yes. Is it in a closed depression?
ii.
No. Is the claypan within 4 inches of the surface?
2
No. Is the area in a basin or closed depression with no outlet?
i.
Yes. Does the site pond water briefly after snowmelt or heavy rain or during abnormally wet years?
ii.
No. Re-think your position and start again!
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
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