What's My Soil

A field guide to the soil under your feet

Soil series profile

Hyer soil series

Hyer is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 32,447 acres in 1 county in NM. Hydrologic group C.

#7944 by mapped area fine-silty Ustic Haplargids (Aridisols)

Drainage class
Well drained
98% of mapped acres
Hydrologic group
C
98% of mapped acres
Typical topsoil pH
7.0
neutral · range 7.0–7.0
Mapped area
32k
acres in 1 county, 1 state

Typical Hyer profile

Texture and pH by depth

Typical Hyer soil profile by depth 0 in 20 in 40 in 60 in 80 in 100 in 0–2 in · A · pH 7.0 · 19% clay Silt loam 2–6 in · Bt1 · pH 7.2 · 28% clay Silty clay loam 6–9 in · Bt2 · pH 7.2 · 31% clay Silty clay loam 9–15 in · Bt3 · pH 7.2 · 30% clay Silty clay loam 15–24 in · Btk1 · pH 8.2 · 32% clay Silty clay loam 24–45 in · Btk2 · pH 8.4 · 19% clay Loam 45–61 in · Bk1 · pH 8.4 · 16% clay Very fine sandy loam 61–79 in · Bk2 · pH 8.6 · 24% clay Loam 79–100 in · C · pH 8.6 · 20% clay Loam
Depth to scale. More strongly shaded layers hold more clay. Horizon names are the soil survey's (A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent material).
Show as a table
Typical Hyer horizons (representative values)
Depth Texture pH Clay Sand Organic matter
0–2 in (A) Silt loam 7.0 19% 12% 0.8%
2–6 in (Bt1) Silty clay loam 7.2 28% 7% 0.8%
6–9 in (Bt2) Silty clay loam 7.2 31% 7% 0.5%
9–15 in (Bt3) Silty clay loam 7.2 30% 7% 0.5%
15–24 in (Btk1) Silty clay loam 8.2 32% 7% 0.3%
24–45 in (Btk2) Loam 8.4 19% 36% 0.3%
45–61 in (Bk1) Very fine sandy loam 8.4 16% 58% 0.2%
61–79 in (Bk2) Loam 8.6 24% 33% 0.2%
79–100 in (C) Loam 8.6 20% 37% 0.1%

Representative values from the most extensive Hyer map unit (Hyer-Witt complex, 1 to 3 percent slopes, survey area NM687). Other map units of this series vary within the series range.

Hands holding dark garden soil
Stock photo for illustration, not a sample of this soil series. Credit on the Sources & method page.

What this means

What Hyer soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Hyer soils is neutral: pH 7.0, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.

Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 98% of mapped Hyer acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (98% of mapped Hyer acres).

98% of mapped Hyer acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.

For lawns and yards

On 98% 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 98% of the acres in mapped Hyer soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (2% 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.

Generated from the mapped numbers above using fixed rules, not a site visit. See how these notes are written.

Where Hyer soil is found

Mapped acres

Hyer is mapped in New Mexico.

Counties with the most mapped Hyer soil
County Acres Share of county land
Santa Fe County, NM 32,447 3.2%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Hyer acres

Not limited 0%
Somewhat limited 0%
Very limited 98%
Not rated 2%
Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Hyer acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.
Show as a table
Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Hyer acres.
CategoryShare of acres
Not limited0.0%
Somewhat limited0.0%
Very limited98.2%
Not rated1.8%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Hyer 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 2–2% (median 2%).
Topsoil organic matter
Median 0.8%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%
Somewhat excessively drained 0%
Well drained 98%
Moderately well drained 0%
Somewhat poorly drained 0%
Poorly drained 0%
Very poorly drained 0%
Not rated 2%
Drainage class across mapped Hyer acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.
Show as a table
Drainage class across mapped Hyer acres.
CategoryShare of acres
Excessively drained0.0%
Somewhat excessively drained0.0%
Well drained98.2%
Moderately well drained0.0%
Somewhat poorly drained0.0%
Poorly drained0.0%
Very poorly drained0.0%
Not rated1.8%

Hydrologic soil group

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) 0%
B: moderate infiltration 0%
C: slow infiltration 98%
D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 0%
A/D: D as is, A if drained 0%
B/D: D as is, B if drained 0%
C/D: D as is, C if drained 0%
Not rated 2%
Hydrologic soil group across mapped Hyer acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.
Show as a table
Hydrologic soil group across mapped Hyer acres.
CategoryShare of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)0.0%
B: moderate infiltration0.0%
C: slow infiltration98.2%
D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet)0.0%
A/D: D as is, A if drained0.0%
B/D: D as is, B if drained0.0%
C/D: D as is, C if drained0.0%
Not rated1.8%

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 Hyer (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 32,447 acres.
Method
Shares are by mapped acres of Hyer components. The profile comes from the single largest Hyer component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

Full narrative description: USDA Official Soil Series Description for Hyer.