Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Major Land Resource Area 070B
Major Land Resource Area
Accessed: 05/03/2026
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Description
MLRA 70B represents the southern terminus of Land Resource Region G, the Western Great Plains. The entirety of this MLRA is within two primary river basins carved out of the Great Plains by the Canadian and Pecos rivers. The basins are characterized by the Tucumcari Basin portion of the Canadian River and the Pecos River Basin with its associated Mescalero Sand Plain, Artesia Group saline red beds, and piedmont deposits. This MLRA constitutes the transition from the Basin and Range Province of the west to the Southern High Plains, with its Ogallala aquifer-bearing deposits, to the east. Most of the MLRA is rangeland punctuated by extensive areas of petroleum extraction in the south and east parts of the Pecos Basin. In smaller areas along waterways, diverted water from the main river or shallow water tables provide irrigation to bottomland fields.
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This key only applies to MLRA 70B.
Site is on a water-collecting landform such as a drainageway bottom, swale, floodplain, or playa.
GX070B01XESG01 – Run-on
GX070B01XESG01 – Run-on
All other sites.
Soils are < 20" (50 cm) to root-restrictive layers.
GX070B01XESG02 – Shallow Uplands
GX070B01XESG02 – Shallow Uplands
Soils are ≥ 20" (50 cm) to root-restrictive layers.
Soils contain ≥ 15% gypsum either throughout or in subsurface horizons.
GX070B01XESG03 – Gypsum Uplands
GX070B01XESG03 – Gypsum Uplands
All other sites.
All soil horizons in the upper 40" (100 cm) have sandy textures (≥ 50% sand in the fine earth fraction) OR soils are contain ≥ 35% gravel in the upper 40".
GX070B01XESG04 – Sandy Uplands
GX070B01XESG04 – Sandy Uplands
All other sites.
Soils react strongly or violently to dilute HCl at the surface, and react violently in all subsurface horizons.
GX070B01XESG05 – Limy Uplands
GX070B01XESG05 – Limy Uplands
All other sites.
GX070B01XESG06 – Clayey Uplands
GX070B01XESG06 – Clayey Uplands
Additional water
Uplands
Subsurface EC >4 - 040XESG10 Saline Bottoms
Subsurface EC <4
Sand >50% & clay <25% for surface and subsurface - 040XESG13 Sandy Bottoms
Sand <50% or clay >25% for surface and subsurface - 040XESG01
Surface SAR >8
Surface SAR <8
Elevation - <2500 ft - 040XESG57 Desert Saline Hills
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG63 Semi-Desert Grassland Saline Hills
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG38 Madrean Woodland Saline Hills
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG64 – Temperate Forest Saline Hills
070BESG64 – Temperate Forest Saline Hills
Gypsum >5% surface or >10% subsurface
Gypsum <5% surface and <10% subsurface
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042AESG69 Gypsum Madrean Woodland
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG70 – Gypsum Temperate Forest
070BESG70 – Gypsum Temperate Forest
Subsurface EC >8 or surface EC >4
Subsurface EC <8 and surface EC <4
Elevation - <2500 ft - 040XESG57 Desert Saline Hills
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG63 Semi-Desert Grassland Saline Hills
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG38 Madrean Woodland Saline Hills
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG64 – Temperate Forest Saline Hills
070BESG64 – Temperate Forest Saline Hills
EC >1.5 surface or >2 subsurface
EC <1.5 surface and <2 subsurface
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG65 Semi-Desert Grassland Saline Uplands
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG66 Madrean Woodland Saline Uplands
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG67 – Temperate Forest Saline Uplands
070BESG67 – Temperate Forest Saline Uplands
Slope >35% & >40% surface rock
Slope <35% or <40% surface rock
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 038XESG19 Madrean Woodland Breaks
Elevation - >6000 ft - 042CESG20 Temperate Forest Breaks
Depth <30cm
Depth: 30-55cm
Depth >55cm
Elevation - <2500 ft - 040XESG61 Very Shallow Desert
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG47 Very Shallow Semi-Desert Grassland
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042AESG48 Very Shallow Madrean Woodland
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG49 – Very Shallow Temperate Forest
070BESG49 – Very Shallow Temperate Forest
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG42 Shallow Thornscrub
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG43 Shallow Semi-Desert Grassland
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 038XESG44 Shallow Madrean Woodland
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG45 – Shallow Temperate Forest
070BESG45 – Shallow Temperate Forest
Rock >30% surface or >30% subsurface
Rock <30% surface or <30% subsurface
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG26 Deep Rocky Semi-Desert Grassland
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG27 Deep Rocky Madrean Woodland
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG28 – Deep Rocky Temperate Forest
070BESG28 – Deep Rocky Temperate Forest
Clay >30% surface or >35% subsurface
Clay <30% surface or <35% subsurface
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG21 Thornscrub Clay Uplands
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG22 Semi-Desert Grassland Clay Uplands
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 038XESG23 Madrean Woodland Clay Uplands
Elevation - >6000 ft - 038XESG24 Temperate Forest Clay Uplands
Sand >75% or texture is loamy sand or sandier in surface & subsurface
Sand <75% or texture is sandy loam or finer in surface & subsurface
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG41 Semi-Desert Grassland Sandy Uplands
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG68 Madrean Woodland Sandy Uplands
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG71 – Temperate Forest Sandy Uplands
070BESG71 – Temperate Forest Sandy Uplands
Clay <20% or texture is sandy loam or sandier in surface
Clay >20% or texture is finer than sandy loam in surface
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG35 Semi-Desert Grassland Loamy Uplands
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG36 Madrean Woodland Loamy Uplands
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG37 – Temperate Forest Loamy Uplands
070BESG37 – Temperate Forest Loamy Uplands
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG30 Semi-Desert Grassland Finer Uplands
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft
070BESG31 – Madrean Woodland Finer Uplands
070BESG31 – Madrean Woodland Finer Uplands
Elevation - >6000 ft
070BESG32 – Temperate Forest Finer Uplands
070BESG32 – Temperate Forest Finer Uplands
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Ecological site group keys
Key to Ecological Site Groups for MLRA 70B
1a.
Site is on a water-collecting landform such as a drainageway bottom, swale, floodplain, or playa.
... GX070B01XESG01 – Run-on
1b.
All other sites.
2b.
Soils are ≥ 20" (50 cm) to root-restrictive layers.
3a.
Soils contain ≥ 15% gypsum either throughout or in subsurface horizons.
... GX070B01XESG03 – Gypsum Uplands
3b.
All other sites.
4a.
All soil horizons in the upper 40" (100 cm) have sandy textures (≥ 50% sand in the fine earth fraction) OR soils are contain ≥ 35% gravel in the upper 40".
... GX070B01XESG04 – Sandy Uplands
4b.
All other sites.
5a.
Soils react strongly or violently to dilute HCl at the surface, and react violently in all subsurface horizons.
... GX070B01XESG05 – Limy Uplands
National Park Service
I.
Additional water
A.
Subsurface EC >4 - 040XESG10 Saline Bottoms
B.
Subsurface EC <4
1
Sand >50% & clay <25% for surface and subsurface - 040XESG13 Sandy Bottoms
2
Sand <50% or clay >25% for surface and subsurface - 040XESG01
II.
Uplands
A.
Surface SAR >8
1
Elevation - <2500 ft - 040XESG57 Desert Saline Hills
2
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG63 Semi-Desert Grassland Saline Hills
3
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG38 Madrean Woodland Saline Hills
B.
Surface SAR <8
1
Gypsum >5% surface or >10% subsurface
i.
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042AESG69 Gypsum Madrean Woodland
2
Gypsum <5% surface and <10% subsurface
i.
Subsurface EC >8 or surface EC >4
a.
Elevation - <2500 ft - 040XESG57 Desert Saline Hills
b.
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG63 Semi-Desert Grassland Saline Hills
c.
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG38 Madrean Woodland Saline Hills
ii.
Subsurface EC <8 and surface EC <4
a.
EC >1.5 surface or >2 subsurface
1)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG65 Semi-Desert Grassland Saline Uplands
2)
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG66 Madrean Woodland Saline Uplands
b.
EC <1.5 surface and <2 subsurface
1)
Slope >35% & >40% surface rock
a)
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 038XESG19 Madrean Woodland Breaks
b)
Elevation - >6000 ft - 042CESG20 Temperate Forest Breaks
2)
Slope <35% or <40% surface rock
a)
Depth <30cm
(1)
Elevation - <2500 ft - 040XESG61 Very Shallow Desert
(2)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG47 Very Shallow Semi-Desert Grassland
(3)
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042AESG48 Very Shallow Madrean Woodland
b)
Depth: 30-55cm
(1)
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG42 Shallow Thornscrub
(2)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG43 Shallow Semi-Desert Grassland
(3)
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 038XESG44 Shallow Madrean Woodland
c)
Depth >55cm
(1)
Rock >30% surface or >30% subsurface
(a)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG26 Deep Rocky Semi-Desert Grassland
(b)
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG27 Deep Rocky Madrean Woodland
(2)
Rock <30% surface or <30% subsurface
(a)
Clay >30% surface or >35% subsurface
(1)
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG21 Thornscrub Clay Uplands
(2)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG22 Semi-Desert Grassland Clay Uplands
(3)
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 038XESG23 Madrean Woodland Clay Uplands
(4)
Elevation - >6000 ft - 038XESG24 Temperate Forest Clay Uplands
(b)
Clay <30% surface or <35% subsurface
(1)
Sand >75% or texture is loamy sand or sandier in surface & subsurface
(a)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG41 Semi-Desert Grassland Sandy Uplands
(b)
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG68 Madrean Woodland Sandy Uplands
(2)
Sand <75% or texture is sandy loam or finer in surface & subsurface
(a)
Clay <20% or texture is sandy loam or sandier in surface
(1)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG35 Semi-Desert Grassland Loamy Uplands
(2)
Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG36 Madrean Woodland Loamy Uplands
(b)
Clay >20% or texture is finer than sandy loam in surface
(1)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG30 Semi-Desert Grassland Finer Uplands
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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