Wetness clues

Why is this spot always wet?

Look for the soil survey signals behind recurring wet ground: hydric soil components, shallow seasonal water, poor drainage, flooding, and ponding.

Choose a place

Survey area UT621

USDA data

Survey-area code

Enter two letters and three digits, such as UT621.

Find the code by county and state

State

County or parish

Search for every survey area overlapping the county.

A survey area contains many map units. Select the map-unit record relevant to your location before drawing a site-level conclusion.

Mapped evidence

Wet-spot investigation

Idle

Choose a survey area to inspect its mapped wetness clues.

Quick read for —

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Long-term soil signal

Mapped hydric component share

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Map units with hydric soil — At least one component rated Yes

Median hydric share — Across returned map units

Highest mapped share — —

Wettest drainage class — —

Annual minimum water table — —

April–June minimum — —

Flooding indicated — Returned map-unit records

Ponding indicated — Returned map-unit records

How to read the evidence

Four different wetness clues

Hydric soil

A soil formed under saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough to develop low-oxygen conditions.

Water table

The mapped minimum depth to saturated soil. Smaller depths mean water is nearer the surface.

Flooding

Water moving over the soil surface from overflowing streams or runoff from nearby slopes.

Ponding

Standing water held in a closed depression because it cannot drain away readily.

Inspect map units and their hydric components

Symbol	Map unit	Hydric share %	Hydric components	Wettest drainage	Annual water table cm	Apr–Jun cm	Flooding	Ponding %

Open component records

Method, source, and limitations

Hydric share is component composition within a map unit—not the probability that a selected point is hydric and not the share of the entire survey area's acreage.

Onsite hydric-soil identification uses field indicators. A wetland determination also evaluates hydrology and vegetation. Read the NRCS field-indicator guidance .