Soil series profile
Baca soil series
Baca is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 661,247 acres in 21 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 97% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 96% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.2 neutral · range 7.2–7.5
- Mapped area
- 661k acres in 21 counties, 2 states
Typical Baca profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3 in (A) | Silt loam | 7.2 | 26% | 15% | 1.5% |
| 3–6 in (AB) | Silty clay loam | 7.4 | 37% | 12% | 1.5% |
| 6–13 in (Bt1) | Silty clay | 7.8 | 45% | 10% | 1% |
| 13–21 in (Bt2) | Silty clay | 8.4 | 40% | 11% | 1% |
| 21–27 in (Btk) | Silty clay loam | 8.6 | 38% | 9% | 0.75% |
| 27–47 in (Bk1) | Silty clay loam | 8.2 | 33% | 10% | 0.25% |
| 47–79 in (Bk2) | Silt loam | 8.2 | 25% | 20% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Baca soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Baca soils is neutral: pH 7.2 (most land between 7.2 and 7.5), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 97% of mapped Baca acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (76% of mapped Baca acres).
97% of mapped Baca acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 96% of mapped acres, 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 88% of the acres in mapped Baca soils very limited, 10% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
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.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Baca soil is found
Mapped acres
Baca is mapped in Colorado and South Dakota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Baca County, CO | 314,612 | 19.2% |
| Prowers County, CO | 85,264 | 8.1% |
| Las Animas County, CO | 80,500 | 2.6% |
| Kiowa County, CO | 72,934 | 6.3% |
| Elbert County, CO | 36,648 | 3.1% |
| Huerfano County, CO | 18,073 | 1.8% |
| Butte County, SD | 14,670 | 1.0% |
| Cheyenne County, CO | 10,150 | 0.9% |
| Arapahoe County, CO | 6,538 | 1.3% |
| Washington County, CO | 5,320 | 0.3% |
| Bent County, CO | 4,974 | 0.5% |
| Pennington County, SD | 4,088 | 0.2% |
| Adams County, CO | 2,153 | 0.3% |
| Weld County, CO | 2,038 | 0.1% |
| Logan County, CO | 653 | 0.1% |
| Lincoln County, CO | 635 | 0.0% |
| Morgan County, CO | 574 | 0.1% |
| Custer County, SD | 448 | 0.1% |
| Kit Carson County, CO | 232 | 0.0% |
| Boulder County, CO | 78 | 0.0% |
| Denver County, CO | 23 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Baca acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 9.9% |
| Very limited | 87.5% |
| Not rated | 2.6% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Baca acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–4% (median 2%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 97.4% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 2.6% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 1.8% |
| C: slow infiltration | 95.6% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 2.6% |
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
- All map unit components named Baca (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 661,247 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Baca components. The profile comes from the single largest Baca component. Full methodology.