Soil series profile
Fondis soil series
Fondis is a well drained soil with a clay loam surface, mapped on 70,902 acres in 5 counties in CO. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.2 neutral · range 7.2–7.2
- Mapped area
- 71k acres in 5 counties, 1 state
Typical Fondis profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (H1) | Clay loam | 7.2 | 35% | 33% | 3% |
| 7–24 in (H2) | Clay | 7.2 | 45% | 26% | 1.25% |
| 24–60 in (H3) | Sandy clay loam | 7.9 | 28% | 55% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Fondis soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Fondis soils is neutral: pH 7.2, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Fondis acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (45% of mapped Fondis acres).
100% of mapped Fondis acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Fondis 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 Fondis soil is found
Mapped acres
Fondis is mapped in Colorado.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas County, CO | 37,706 | 7.0% |
| Arapahoe County, CO | 32,326 | 6.2% |
| Broomfield County, CO | 777 | 2.7% |
| Jefferson County, CO | 93 | 0.0% |
| Denver County, CO | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Fondis 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 Fondis 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 2–10% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
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 | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 100.0% |
| 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 Fondis (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 70,902 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Fondis components. The profile comes from the single largest Fondis component. Full methodology.