County soil summary
Soil types in Cache County, Utah
The most widespread soils are Agassiz, Lucky Star and Yeates Hollow; the most common drainage class is well drained (52% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 7.2.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 71% of land · state 64%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.2 neutral · state 8.2
- Septic fields very limited
- 89% of land · state 62%
- Subject to flooding
- 7% of land, any frequency · state 4%
Most common soils in Cache County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 33% of the mapped land; 96 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agassiz | 6.9% | Somewhat excessively drained | 7.3 |
| Lucky Star | 5.7% | Well drained | 6.7 |
| Yeates Hollow | 4.0% | Well drained | 6.5 |
| Mendon | 3.6% | Well drained | 7.2 |
| Rock outcropLand type, not a soil series | 3.4% | — | — |
| Trenton | 3.4% | Somewhat poorly drained | 7.9 |
| Goring | 2.8% | Well drained | 6.7 |
| Greenson | 2.7% | Somewhat poorly drained | 7.6 |
What this means
What the soils in Cache County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Cache County is neutral: pH 7.2 (most land between 6.5 and 7.9), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 86% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (27% of the land).
71% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 69% of the land, rain soaks in slowly (hydrologic groups C and D, including dual groups that are D until drained). Expect runoff and puddles after heavy rain: core-aerate compacted lawns and keep ground sloping away from foundations.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 89% of the land in Cache County very limited, <1% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (11% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 62% of the land is very limited, so Cache County is more restrictive than typical.
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Flooding is mapped on 7% of the land (1% occasional, 2% frequent).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Drainage
How long the soil stays wet
The most common drainage class is well drained (52%). 71% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 64% across Utah.
Show as a table
| Category | Cache County | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.1% | 2.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 15.7% | 7.2% |
| Well drained | 51.9% | 54.2% |
| Moderately well drained | 3.5% | 0.7% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 12.3% | 1.2% |
| Poorly drained | 4.7% | 1.8% |
| Very poorly drained | 1.2% | 4.9% |
| Not rated | 10.5% | 28.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating for conventional drain fields
The rating looks at the soil from 24 to 60 inches deep: permeability, depth to a seasonal water table or bedrock, flooding and slope. “Very limited” means at least one feature is unfavorable enough that a conventional field is hard to make work.
Show as a table
| Category | Cache County | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 3.1% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.4% | 7.3% |
| Very limited | 88.9% | 61.6% |
| Not rated | 10.6% | 28.1% |
Rain, runoff and water table
Hydrologic soil group, flooding, seasonal water table
Hydrologic soil group
How fast rain soaks in when the soil is already wet. Group A soaks in fastest, D slowest.
Show as a table
| Category | Cache County | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 3.2% | 8.5% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 19.3% | 11.5% |
| C: slow infiltration | 42.3% | 19.9% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 25.3% | 38.6% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 1.0% | 0.1% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Not rated | 8.1% | 20.9% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Cache County | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 82.6% | 71.2% |
| Rare or very rare | 3.8% | 2.0% |
| Occasional | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 2.3% | 1.0% |
| Not reported | 10.3% | 24.9% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Cache County | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 4.9% | 6.4% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 8.5% | 1.1% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 80.1% | 74.0% |
| Not reported | 6.6% | 18.4% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 7.2 (neutral); 80% of rated land falls between 6.5 and 7.9. Median topsoil organic matter is 3%.
Show as a table
| Category | Cache County | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 7.4% | 2.2% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 51.4% | 10.8% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 28.5% | 57.9% |
| Not reported | 12.2% | 28.7% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Cache County | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 0.6% | 8.5% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 85.9% | 61.5% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 10.9% | 28.7% |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- Cache County, Utah (FIPS 49005): 501,439 acres of mapped land, 7,409 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Utah.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped land area: each map unit’s acres in the county times each soil component’s percentage. Open water is excluded. Topsoil values use the first mineral horizon of each component. Full methodology.