Hydric soil & drainage screening
Check for Hydric Soils on Your Property
Enter an address to see the USDA hydric soil rating and drainage class for free. Get flooding, ponding and water table depth in a PDF report.
Recommended
Standard PDF · $29
Adds flooding, ponding, minimum water table depth and the hydric rating of every soil in the map unit. Basic PDF ($19) covers the hydric rating and drainage only.
- Everything in Basic
- Full component breakdown
- Slope
- Flooding / ponding
- Restrictive features
- Full soil map
Choose your tier after the free preview. One flat price per address.
What the screening shows
Hydric soil rating
Whether the soil components are rated hydric, and what share of the map unit is hydric. Free in the preview.
Drainage class
From excessively drained to very poorly drained. Poorly drained soils stay wet near the surface. Free in the preview.
Flooding and ponding
USDA flooding and ponding frequency classes for the map unit. In the Standard report.
Depth to water table
The shallowest annual depth to a saturated zone recorded for the map unit. In the Standard report.
Every soil in the map unit
The hydric rating and drainage class of each component, not just the main one. In the Standard report.
Soil drainage classes, explained
- Excessively drained
- Water leaves the soil very quickly.
- Somewhat excessively drained
- Water leaves the soil rapidly.
- Well drained
- Water leaves readily; no wetness near the surface in most years.
- Moderately well drained
- Wet for short periods within the rooting depth.
- Somewhat poorly drained
- Wet at a shallow depth for significant periods.
- Poorly drained
- Wet at or near the surface much of the growing season.
- Very poorly drained
- Water at or above the surface much of the growing season.
A screening, not a delineation
Use it to
- Spot possible wet or hydric soils before buying or building
- Decide whether to bring in a wetland or soil scientist
- Plan drainage, basements and stormwater practices
- Document mapped soil wetness for a project file
It does not
- Delineate wetlands or set wetland boundaries
- Replace a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determination
- Show the FEMA flood zone
- Measure groundwater on your lot
Frequently Asked Questions
Hydric soils by address: what the rating means and what it doesn't.
What is a hydric soil?
USDA-NRCS defines a hydric soil as one that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part. Hydric soils are one of the three indicators used to identify wetlands.
Can I find hydric soils by address for free?
Yes. Enter the address and the free preview shows the hydric soil rating and drainage class for the main soil at that point. The Standard report adds the rating for every soil in the map unit, plus flooding, ponding and water table depth.
Does a hydric rating mean my property is a wetland?
No. A wetland determination needs hydric soils, wetland vegetation and wetland hydrology, confirmed in the field. Jurisdictional determinations under the Clean Water Act are made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A hydric rating is a screening flag that tells you to look closer.
What does the drainage class tell me?
Drainage class describes how quickly water leaves the soil and how long it stays wet near the surface, from excessively drained to very poorly drained. Poorly drained soils can mean wet basements, slow yard drainage and limits on infiltration.
Is USDA flooding frequency the same as a FEMA flood zone?
No. USDA flooding classes describe how often the soil map unit floods based on soil and landform evidence. FEMA flood zones come from flood insurance studies. Check both: the FEMA Flood Map Service Center shows the official flood zone.
Which addresses are covered?
We currently cover Washington, DC. We record searches outside coverage so we know where to expand next.
Screen your property for hydric soils
Free hydric rating and drainage class. Full screening from the Standard report.
More soil tools and guides
- Soil Type LookupFree soil type, drainage and hydric rating for any address.
- Soil Report for Permit DrawingsA preliminary soil PDF for site plans and permit sets.
- DC Soil Boring & DOEE Permit GuideWhen DC projects need borings, permits and a geotech.
- DC DOEE Soil & Stormwater ChecklistErosion control and stormwater triggers, step by step.
- Septic Soil Suitability ReportUSDA septic absorption field rating for a property.
- SSURGO Parcel Reports for EngineersComponent, horizon and engineering data by address.
- SSURGO Soil Data APISoil data by address or coordinates, as JSON.
This report is based on USDA-NRCS SSURGO regional soil-survey data and is intended for preliminary screening only. It is not a geotechnical investigation, soil boring report, environmental assessment, or permit approval.