Table 8. Soil Types Occurring on the Cactus Flats and Near Field Soil Sampling Gridsa Soil Classification Description Berino Complex The Berino series soils are well-drained soils overlying a light sandy clay loam subsoil. A typical profile is 6 inches of reddish brown, loamy fine sand overlying a red, light, sandy clay loam to about 42 inches thick. The substratum, to a depth of 60 inches or more is a pink light sandy clay loam with a high content of lime. Berino-Cacique Fine Sandy Loams The Berino is the same as the Berino unit mapped in Eddy County. The Cacique are well drained sandy clay loams overlain by 8 inches of loamy fine sand and underlain by well indurated caliche at a depth of 20 - 34 inches in the mapped area. Kimbrough The Kimbrough series are well-drained gravelly loams, which overlies indurated caliche at a depth of 6 to 20 inches in the mapped area. It is formed on wind and water deposited sediments. Maljamar/Palomas The Maljamar was defined after the Eddy County survey was published in 1971. In the mapped area, the Maljamar/Palomas association is equivalent to the Berino Complex mapped in Eddy County. Pyote The Pyote series are wind deposited, well-drained soils overlying a fine sandy loam subsoil. Typical profiles include 30 inches of light brown fine sand, 18 inches of yellowish to light brown loamy fine sand, and at a depth of 60 inches, a pink fine sandy loam substratum. Pyote/Maljamar The Pyote Maljamar consists of 45 percent Pyote fine sand, 45 percent Maljamar fine sand and 10 percent Palomas and Kermit soils. A typical depth profile is similar to the Pyote Series sands. Simona The Simona series are well-drained soils on a fine sandy loam subsoil. A typical profile consists of a surface layer of 8 inches of grayish brown fine sandy loam, and 8 inches of pale brown fine sandy loam. The substratum is platy, white, indurated caliche. Tonuco The Tonuco series are excessively drained loamy fine sands, 10 to 20 inches thick, overlying indurated caliche. A typical profile is 12 inches of yellowish-red, loamy fine sand, 8 inches of yellowish-red loamy sand, overlying indurated caliche. Kermit-Berino Fine Sand The Kermit – Berino fine sands association have profiles typical of their series. Kermit fine sand makes up 40 - 60 percent of the area, Berino fine sand 30 - 40 percent, and the remainder consists of Active dune and Dune lands. The Kermit is an excessively drained loose sand, with active and stabilized dunes from 3 to 15 feet high. Most of the fines have been winnowed out and blown away. The Berino fine sand is similar but is underlain by caliche. Berino Dune Complex The Berino Dune complex consists of deep sandy soils and Dune land. Berino soils make up 30 to 50 percent and Dune lands make up 35 to 50 percent of the area.. Except were the surface layer has been wind eroded, the Berino soils have profiles typical of the Berino series. The Dune lands are typically dunes 3 to 8 feet high, 8 to 30 feet at the base. Most have formed around woody plants and each windstorm adds or takes away sand. Surface soils are typically thicker near the dunes. Maljamar Fine Sandy Loam The Maljamar fine sandy loam is a well-drained soil overlying a sandy clay loam subsoil. Indurated caliche is found at depths from 40 to more than 60 inches. A typical profile has 24 inches of yellowish red to red fine sand to fine sandy loam, 12 inches of red loamy clay sand, and 12 inches of red to yellowish red sandy clay loam overlying white fractured, indurated caliche. aSource: Chugg, J.C., et. al. 1971, Soil Survey Eddy Area, New Mexico, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service; Turner, M.T., et. al. 1974, Soil Survey of Lea County, New Mexico, US Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service