Soil series profile
Canoecreek soil series
Canoecreek is a well drained soil with a very gravelly loam surface, mapped on 124,052 acres in 2 counties in CA. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.6 moderately acidic · range 5.6–6.0
- Mapped area
- 124k acres in 2 counties, 1 state
Typical Canoecreek profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (Oi) | Gravelly slightly decomposed plant material | 6.0 | 15% | 35% | 75% |
| 4–13 in (A) | Very gravelly loam | 5.6 | 16% | 44% | 4% |
| 13–30 in (Bw1) | Very gravelly loam | 5.8 | 18% | 43% | 2% |
| 30–47 in (Bw2) | Very gravelly loam | 5.8 | 19% | 43% | 1% |
| 47–61 in (Bw3) | Very gravelly loam | 5.8 | 19% | 43% | 0.5% |
| 61–71 in (Bw4) | Very gravelly loam | 5.6 | 17% | 43% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Canoecreek soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Canoecreek soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.6 (most land between 5.6 and 6.0). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Canoecreek acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is very gravelly loam (65% of mapped Canoecreek acres).
100% of mapped Canoecreek acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 100% of the acres in mapped Canoecreek soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
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 Canoecreek soil is found
Mapped acres
Canoecreek is mapped in California.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Humboldt County, CA | 122,584 | 6.0% |
| Mendocino County, CA | 1,468 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Canoecreek acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Canoecreek 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 30–65% (median 65%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 4%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 100.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 100.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| 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% |
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 Canoecreek (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 124,052 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Canoecreek components. The profile comes from the single largest Canoecreek component. Full methodology.