Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument - Soils

Most of the land within the Monument is on steep slopes. Soils found here are classified as shallow to very shallow. Their available water-holding capacity is very low.

Soils on top of the plateau are deep to moderately deep and well drained. These soils extend down 20 to 40 inches to the durapan, locally called caliche. Soils of this nature are silt loam with a strongly calcareous layer beginning about 8 or 9 inches deep.